


Let's Make a Deal

by Oilux



Series: Of Bright Suns and Shooting Stars [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Blood, Deals, F/M, Knife Play, Madness, Shoves all the warning tags there, like super light dipper/pacifica, might be rated m later on, somewhat forced marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-03-19 04:36:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 68,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3596610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oilux/pseuds/Oilux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over the years, Dipper has slowly become more and more obsessed with Journal #3. Mabel worries for her twin, as she slowly watches him descent into madness. Yet will she be desperate enough to make a deal with the damned to save her brother?</p>
<p>"Shooting Star, we both know you're asking the impossible."<br/>"So make the impossible happen!"<br/>He pauses. "I can save your brothers mind, no easy feat mind you, on one condition. You become my wife." Mabel reached out and slapped him as hard as she could. On second thought, maybe that wasn't a good idea based off how red he was turning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Summers

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first Gravity Falls FanFiction. ^-^ Please leave encouragement at the end folks!
> 
> Title: Let's Make a Deal
> 
> Pairing: MaBill
> 
> Summary: Over the years, Dipper has slowly become more and more obsessed with Journal #3. Mabel worries for her twin, as she slowly watches him descent into madness. Yet will she be desperate enough to make a deal with the damned to save her brother?

It starts when they are fifteen, and Mabel suddenly realizes how different her brother is from when they were twelve and first spent their first summer in Gravity Falls.

After their first summer of fighting Gremoblins and misadventures with Soos and destroying ghosts and demons, Dipper put his journal in the drawer next to his bed, and it stays there for the year until it is time for them to return to Gravity Falls. He plays baseball after school and Mabel sets up her own fashion club, and both are happy until the year ends and they know it’s time to return to their summer vacation.

They have a completely new adventure with finding more animals that can talk, and reaching a waterfall that pours Pitt Cola instead of water, and saving the town from monsters and demons and everything else under the sun. Mabel wonders how they managed to make it through the school year without her and Dipper to save them.

Pacifica is more of a friend than a foe this summer, and finds herself invited to too many sleepovers where she learns about romance novels and boy bands. Mabel ignored how much the other girl doesn’t seem to get Candy and Grenda, and hopes they can all get along.

Dipper spends more time with Soos and more nights doing his late night reading, but Mabel doesn’t mind, for it is so totally Dipper, and she finds that she can sleep through his muttering and gasps of delight. Though sometimes she can only get him to take care of himself if she reminds him of Bill taking over his body, and he regretfully takes care of himself once more.

He falls asleep with the journal laying by his head more often than she would like, but she doesn’t say anything, and he enjoys the mystery and adventures of Gravity Falls and so does she. What more can she do than be the best Mystery Twin she can be and support him all the way?

When they go back to school, their parents let her take Waddles and Mabel practically jumps for joy, while Dipper complains with a smile on his face that now he’ll have to deal with even more ‘Mabel and the Hog’ radio shows than he can handle. Mabel laughs and Waddles loves having a backyard where he won’t get taken off by a giant pterodactyl.

Sometimes she wakes in the night and Dipper is reading, yet not his normal late night reading of mystery novels. He reads the journal and sticks notes on his walls, muttering about how much of an idiot he was for not realizing things before. She is about to get up, to tell him to go to sleep, but then Waddles cuddles against her and she falls back asleep with the words still on her lips.

Christmas rolls around, and Dipper’s late night obsession becomes something quite more. He stays up late and sleeps during the day at school. Mabel worries and tries to tell him to take care of himself, but he brushes her off, and doesn’t even seem to think about anything else but his journal. Mabel buys him the best set of mystery books she can find, hoping that something, anything can break him away from his journal.

The books remain untouched in the corner of his desk.

Mabel attaches herself to Waddles, always taking him everywhere she can, caring after him like a mother. Her parents send Dipper to a counselor, but he pitches a fit, and nothing changes besides a new memory of an office and a person they will never meet again. And when summer rolls around, Mabel hates the thought of going to Gravity Falls, even though Grunkle Stan and Wendy and Soos and all her friends were waiting.

Dipper only talks about the journal, and gets kicked off the baseball team. The bags under his eyes seem permanent, Mabel can’t remember the last time she saw her brother sleep. The day before school ends, Mabel puts another girl in charge of her fashion club, a girl with a good heart yet a calm demeanor. The others complained that it wouldn’t be the same without Mabel, yet she knows she won’t be able to handle the club next year if Dipper is still the same way.

Grunkle Stan is happy to have them back, and everyone greets Mabel with the best attitude she has seen sense she left, all determined to break Dipper of his reading and dependency on his journal. She laughs and believes them.

It’s the middle of July when Dipper finally crashes and sleeps for over a day. Everyone sighs from relief of a day of peace where Dipper isn’t dragging them into the forest to go and chase after something completely deadly. Mabel creeps into the room, careful not to make a noise, even though she is sure that not even an earthquake would wake him. She slips the journal away from him, hoping to be able to do something, anything, before he wakes up.

The leather cover is soft in her hands and warm from where Dipper was still holding it. She flips through the pages, not expecting an answer but still searching for one in the book that helped them so many summers ago. It’s been four years since that first summer, and she and Dipper are sixteen, but she wonders how much longer Dipper can last with the pressure he is putting on his body.

She finds herself staring at the picture of Bill and his wheel. Nothing else seems to have anything, unless the Squash with a human face and emotions suddenly knew how to give psychiatric advice. Mabel grabs the purple glitter pen she just happens to have on hand and copies down his summoning spell, all the while telling herself that she will never have to use it, it’s just for back up, because she can’t trust the being who once tried to take over her brother

Mabel thinks she hears Dipper move around upstairs so she is up in an instant, racing up the stairs and placing the journal right next to him where she found it, breathing a bit easier now that she knows he won’t have a breakdown if he woke up without it.

Grunkle Stan pats her back and asks if she wants ‘Stan-cakes’ because those always cheer her up, and Mabel says yes because she knows that it would be strange to refuse, and Grunkle Stan can’t handle more than one kid who is weird enough right now.

She ignores the paper that feels like it’s burning a hole in the pocket of her sweater.


	2. Trends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am looking for a Beta-Reader. Anyone interested?

Bill didn't go along with things, he created things. As he spent countless hours in the Dreamscape, watching the clocks never move, yet still making the tick tock sounds of a working clock. Sometimes he wondered what would make the clocks continue to click, but stopped wondering after he smashed all the clocks in town and still heard the dreadful ticking of the clock.

Human years were nothing to him, yet it was entertaining for him to watch things go by. He watched as Gideon crashed his robot and the Pines twins barely survive by the skin of their teeth. He watched as the two fought off lake monsters and go on adventures through the woods. Bill would be lying if he said that they weren't his newest entertainment.

Their dreams are entertaining to him. Shooting Star dreams of clothes and bright colors he can't see but knows are there because it's Shooting Star and anything else than bright colors would be blasphemy. Pine Tree dreams of mysteries and seeing things no one else has, and Bill has to steer those dreams in the wrong direction when Dipper gets too close to the truth he isn't meant to learn.

It's just too easy for him to move around like they were pawns. Bill pushed them around like pieces of a chess board, and found new activities for when their summers ended. He didn't bother keeping up with them during those months, for what could be so interesting about school and normal human things when he had a whole town to mess with?

By the time they came back for their second summer at Gravity Falls, Bill lost all interest in the Pines twins. They came back a little taller and their cheeks a little less round, and Bill was still the only spot of bright color in the Mindscape, where the ticks and tocks of the clock still follow him around.

His fellow demons always were traveling to the normal realm and back. They didn't seem interested in other demons anymore, for the newest trend was to bring back mortals, specifically young women but Bill didn't comment on the young men they brought back either. Bill wondered what the appeal was, bringing back such breakable things to a realm without color.

The town of Gravity Falls was too appealing for Bill to turn his attention away for one simple human. He had a whole town of them to play with.

Four years flew by in the time he watched over the town, and every summer the Pines twins came back and Bill sent more than one evil being to go and entertain the kids, always more amused that they managed to get out alive.

He starts visiting their dreams again, and he notices how muted Shooting Stars dreams are. They are simple and bland, mostly about her sitting with her brother and even though he can't see color he knows that there are no bright colors, and no excitement anymore. It bothers him more than it should, but he can't do anything about that. And he notices how long her legs are, and how her sweaters look on her, and how her hair has layers and she walks like she is walking on air. Bill pretends not to notice at the same time.

Pines Trees dreams are filled with numbers and writing and mysteries that even Bill has a hard time making sense of it all. Though that is when the boy sleeps at all, and Bill watches in fascination as Dipper pushes himself and drags his family around on more and more dangerous hunts to solve the paranormal.

Bill definitely doesn't interfere, especially the one time they came across another Gremoblin (for the second time that day) and stops it from attacking Mabel and go after Dipper instead. He tells himself that he wanted to see how Pine Tree handled the sudden attack. It most certainly wasn't because he cared, no he was just keeping a current investment alive. He didn't care if color never returned to her dreams.

When the twins got home, Bill made sure Dipper fell asleep the moment he found his bed. He watched as Mabel breathed a sigh of relief before heading downstairs to leave her brother in peace. The chest he didn't have swelled with a little pride.

Bill watches as Mabel slowly creeps into the room and takes the journal he tried so hard to get a couple years ago, and brings it downstairs. He makes sure Pine Tree doesn't sleep, because dreaming doesn't seem to agree with the young man.

Mabel is flipping through the journal and Bill watches over her shoulder, all the while tapping his cane rhythmically to the beat of a clock only he could hear. He simply watched as she paused at the image of himself, looking torn. Yet just as quickly as she grabbed the journal, she jotted down his summoning instructions, and placed the book back with her brother.

Bill felt the first thrum of excitement that he hadn't felt since Gideon first summoned him. She was considering it. Already he could smell the desperation, what she wanted, and knew how to twist it in his way.

He wondered what he should ask for. Bill no longer desired the journal, and no want for physical things. He let his mind wander the possibilities. What would she give up for what she wanted? Bill's mind wandered to the thoughts of his fellow demons, and their new prizes.

 


	3. A Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to CrystallizedInsomniac and SouthernKittyGal for the comment, your words keep me inspired. And also let's all thank her for being one of my new Beta's.
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this. 
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudos!

The letter arrives on a day that's too cheerful for how dark the attic is. Dipper's passed out from exhaustion once more. Mabel knows that it's too much to ask for his sleeping become normal, so she doesn't. She does however, move her things to Soos's break room. The handy-man is all too pleased to have Mabel getting a good night's rest to say no. She doesn't tell him that without her brother snoring besides her, she can't sleep through the night.

The letter's soft in her hands, and has the stamp of the juvenile detention center on the back. She turns the letter over in her hand, seeing her name addressed with a small heart and bright looping cursive. The southern drawl practically screams off the letter, and she wonders how it managed to get there, sitting on the dining room table. Grunkle Stan never told her how many letters arrived from Gideon, but she always saw him throwing them out telling her that they were just ads, ranting about people always wanting his money.

She knew better, but he was happy to throw the letters out, and she was happy to never read them. Mabel's thumb gently crossed the back of the envelope, where it was sealed. Gideon even thought to draw a heart where the two edges met.

Morbid curiosity grabbed her, tugging at her edges, and calling for her to open the letter. She hadn't read one of his letters since she was twelve and threw a whole box of them inside the bottomless pit. Though that was the same time Grunkle Stan saw the sheer amount of letters she received and started to throw them away. Her thumb tore through the cheap paper, leaving it in shreds.

_Dearest Mabel,_

_It's been many a year that I've heard a reply from you, but that won't stop me from trying! It's only a couple more years till I get out and we can be together. There's so much we need to catch up on. I learned so many useful things that will help us out later in life. Did you know that you can whittle anything from a bar of soap? I have a whole collection of all sorts of things now!_

_Anywho, I know that you probably won't reply. If I didn't know better than I would say that your brother was hiding them from you! Just know that you can always call the prison and we can have a chat, or you can write me back anytime._

_Love,_

_Lil Gideon_

The paper didn't shake in her hand, or even tremble. It crumpled in her fist as she balled it up. The fireplace was on the other side of the house, but it would be just so much easier to go outside and burn it on the grill. At least Grunkle Stan wasn't cheap enough to skip out on the grills for the summer days.

Matches brightly caught onto the paper, eating the words one by one as they slipped through the teeth of the grill. Mabel didn't shake with anger, or fear, yet something settled deep into her stomach as she remembered the words he wrote. The matches slipped into her pocket.

It wasn't that he was creepy, that he still thought her family was the only thing in the way of them being together, or the fact he still hadn't stopped writing her letters. It was the fact that the idea of calling him, if for any form of comfort, that settled ice inside of her stomach. The last of the paper burned and fell away into the pit.

"You okay there kid?" Her Grunkle called from the porch.

He is silently watching her, holding a mug of the coffee she made earlier. Mabel tried her best to smile, but the ice in her stomach made it hard to do anything with emotion. He didn't say anything else as she scampered off.

In the dresser of her room, hidden under the socks and undergarments was the paper she really needed. It was crumpled, and the glitter of the purple ink now seemed to mock her. The color was too bright, even her own writing seemed to loopy and cheerful for what was written down. A sock was still stuck to her arm, and she picked it off before throwing it back with the rest.

Mabel shut the dresser with a soft click, and looked on top of it. A single candle decorated the top, along with a picture of her and Dipper from the first year they spent at Gravity Falls. It was from the party that they threw after defeating Gideon, right before the zombies attacked. Mabel smiled at the memory, reaching out and grabbing the picture frame.

How she wanted to go back to that time. When Dipper laughed at her jokes and adventures weren't always do or die. She wanted to go back to that first summer, and have herself be the one to place the signs for the Mystery Shack, so that Dipper would never find that stupid journal.

She placed the picture face down on her dresser, unable to bear looking at it for much longer. Instead her fingers wrapped around the candle, bringing it with her to the middle of the room, and sitting with it on the carpet that once allowed her and her brother to swap bodies. It had faded a bit over the years since natural light was now allowed in.

The matches once more being used, Mabel lit the candle before blowing out the match. Light filtered in from the window, but Mabel focused on the dancing flame in front of her. Was she ready to do this? No, she wasn't. Her shaking fingers held the paper with Bill's summoning instructions scribbled down on it.

_'Breathe in, breathe out. It's going to be okay. Breathe in, breathe out. For Dipper.'_

"Triangulum, entangulum. Veneforis d-dominus…"


	4. Candle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for the comment, your words keep me inspired. And also let's all thank her for being one of my new Beta's. (I suck so much at grammar let me tell you...)
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this.
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

"…Ventium. V-veteforis venetisarium."

The words trickled down the demons spine, making him shiver in anticipation. He barely had time to think about anything other than the feeling of desperation coming through from the poor soul summoning him, before he was being sucked out of the Mindscape. He hadn't been summoned often, but whenever he was the rush of being sucked through time and space from his domain in the Dreamscape often left him in a rush of vertigo.

Bill played his usual entrance to his summons, blue fire erupting from his corners as color drained from the room. He cackled madly, sensing, breathing in, the fear of him. The demon didn't have to look down at the young woman, cowering now against her bed, to know who it was.

He placed himself down in front of her, on the opposite side of the candle. Mabel still clutched the carpet beneath her fingers, as if the faded, turquoise carpet would swallow her whole. Briefly, his eye glanced over her, looking up and down at her legs tucked up to her knees. A thought flittered across his mind, whether the star pattern on her sweater would match the socks she was wearing.

She wasn't wearing her shooting star sweater though, and her feet were bare, and she was still staring at him as though she expected him to grow a mouth and devour her whole. The demon laughed heartily at the thought. There were much bigger plans in his mind for her than eating her or throwing her away so easily.

Or did he? Bill found himself pondering the thought. It would be nice to hear her scream in pain, watch her writhe around trying to escape claws and teeth and monsters she could only imagine in her worst-.

"Bill?" her voice cut through his thoughts.

Just as suddenly they came, his dark thoughts were gone, scattered.

"Shooting Star! Been a long time!" He cheerfully greeted.

The candle flickered briefly at his words, as though he had air inside him to breathe out when he spoke. Mabel didn't speak, though she no long gripped the carpet so tightly, but she didn't let go.

"And where's the Pine Tree?"

The wrong question. Her knuckled turned white as she once more gripped the carpet tighter. Bill cursed himself. She needed to relax - the fibres of the carpet were never going to last under her abuse.

"Sleeping." Came her quiet reply, as though she was afraid loud noises were going to scare him.

The demon hovered over the ground a little, crossing his legs in front of him. He remained quiet.

"I need your help."

The demon still didn't reply, so she continued;

"He's been so into the journal, he won't sleep, he won't eat, he just reads all the time!"

Her voice steadily rose with each declaration, but Bill didn't even twitch.

"Well, what do you want me to do about that kid?"

Without thinking about it, he held his cane in his hand, and tapped it gently against his other hand. He could barely hear the ticking of the clock outside the Mindscape, but it was always there, just in the background.

"Are you saying you can't fix him?" She challenged.

Bill glared at her, his golden-yellow hue turning to a light red.

"Don't test me brat. I never said I couldn't."

"You're a mind demon! Just fix his mind!" Mabel pleaded.

She was on her knees now, bending over the candle to get closer to the demon. No heat rose over the candle to burn her though.

"Shooting Star, we both know you're asking the impossible."

"So make the impossible happen!" Mabel demanded. 'And don't call me that!'

The young woman wanted to yell the last part at him, but she was already arguing with him, as it was. Mabel knew for a fact that he wouldn't stop calling her that just because she asked.

He paused, thinking over things. He thought back to what so many of the other demons had done, all of those young men and women. The ticking sound seemed to grow louder as he recalled some of the finer details on their cases. His continued to tap his cane in sync with a sound that only he could hear as he debated the matter. Then, he knew what he wanted in return.

"I can save your brother's mind, no easy feat mind you since his is so huge. Hehe, get it? Mind?!"

Mabel quickly nodded, just wanting him to get on with whatever it was he had to say. Though it was a struggle to not roll her eyes.

"Only, on one condition. You'll become my wife."

The carpet was going to have patches in it when Mabel stopped gripping it. She stared at Bill, her eyes wide, and he almost wished he had a mouth so that he could grin down at her. Her breathing was coming in short bursts.

"You're a triangle!" Was the first coherent thought to make it out of her mouth.

Bill shrugged at her protest.

"Just one of my many forms."

He snapped his fingers, and he was a cat. Mabel didn't even know how he managed to snap his fingers again without thumbs, but the sound was still there and suddenly he was Dipper, and in another second, he was a man with blonde hair, floating across from her with a smirk on his face. Still though, he carried his cane.

"I'm only sixteen…"

The protest sounded weak to her own ears. The strange man in front of her just looked like she told him the sky was blue.

"B-but why?"

She tried a different approach, glancing away and at her dresser, where the picture was still sitting face down. Mabel forced deep breathes into her lungs, trying her best to relax and remember why she was doing this. It was for Dipper. She had to get back Dipper before he slipped any farther. She turned back to the demon.

"Come on Shooting Star, stop stalling. It's what I want, and what you're going to agree to. Or am I wrong?"

Mabel wanted to reach over and slap the smirk off of his smug, and not attractive in any way face. His hand was still tapping his cane, and she focused on the sound of that now, going over her options.

Should she marry him? Would she be able to go, day by day, knowing she was tied down to a monster, one who tortured her brother and tried to destroy them? Could she let herself be married to a monster who took pleasure in the pain of others? Mabel wished for someone to make the decision for her, Bill was getting more and more impatient by the second. She had to make up her mind.

"You'll help my brother?" She asked quietly, trying to keep the defeat out of her voice.

A poor job at best. The demon's smile stretched even further across his face. She wanted to take back her words immediately. His hand was already hovering over the candle that no longer gave out heat, covered in bright blue flames. Mabel hesitated.

"Only if we have a deal of course."

"Just one thing." Mabel said.

The smile on the demon's face fell just a little, and she went on to elaborate;

"I won't get married until I'm eighteen."

Silence stretched out between them, as Mabel held her breathe and waited for the demon's reaction. Yet after a moment of staring that seemed to last forever, the demon laughed like she just told the best joke in the world. She counted the beats of his cane while he continued to laugh. Ten were counted before his laughing tampered off.

"You are too much, Shooting Star! Fine then, I'll save your brother, and we won't have to have a wedding until you turn eighteen. Happy now?"

His voice carried a bit of impatience, and his hand still hovered above the candle. Mabel still didn't move though.

"Two years right? Two years of being free where I won't have to see you or be around you, or anything?" Mabel asked.

One of her hands was already leaving the carpet, hovering near her chest and ready to reach out and seal the deal. Excitement brewed in Bill's eyes as he didn't look at her, but at her hand, like a predator for its prey. His gaze hardened at her words, but he still didn't look away from her hand.

_'Breathe in, breathe out. You can do this. For Dipper.'_

He growled out a quick "fine," and Mabel reached out her hand, briefly wondering if the vivid blue flames would burn her hand as she grasped it. Yet it didn't, and Bill laughed like a maniac as they shook hands, and Mabel immediately regretted her decision.

"You're going to make a great wife, Shooting Star."

Then, he was gone, and his laughter was echoing in her ears, and the colour returning to her room. The candle had burned to the nub of its wick, leaving in its wake the scent of smoke that only comes from blowing out a candle. The creaks and groans of the Mystery Shack welcomed her back, and Mabel rubbed her hands up and down her legs, trying to reassure herself it was over.

Her left hand felt heavy, but Mabel didn't look down, already knowing what she was going to see the moment did so. Yet, eventually she knew that she would have to look down, and hesitantly stared at her left hand. Mabel screamed.

Sitting on her finger as though it had always been there, was a simple golden band with a yellow stone decorating the center.


	5. Liar, Liar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being one of my Beta-Readers.
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this.
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Soos and Grunkle Stan burst into her room before the scream had faded from the air. Her left hand quickly darted behind her back, knowing that if they saw it then there would be no way to explain it to them. Dipper was going to get better, she had two years left to be with him until Bill took her away.

Grunkle Stan and Soos were still staring at her, coming into her room and asking what was wrong, if someone was there. Mabel stuttered over her lie, because she was never good at lying in the first place, and rose as well, kicking the candle under the bed as she went. Soos wasn't smart enough to see the signs, but Stan was, and she couldn't handle the questions right now.

"Is Dipper still asleep?" At the thought of his great-nephew, Stan's face softened, thoroughly distracted.

"Yeah, maybe he'll stay that way for a while, am I right?" Mabel and Soos tried their best to laugh, but it came out hollow, knowing that Dipper still wasn't okay.

Mabel knew he was going to be though, and she wanted to tell the two standing in front of her so badly. Yet how could she explain? Soos would understand why, but he couldn't understand what she had to give up. Stan would never let her go, and this was the only way to save Dipper. It was better off if they didn't know.

She still wanted to tell them though, to make her heart feel a little less heavy.

Then the bell rang downstairs sounding that a naïve customer had arrived to purchase more products that they most certainly didn't need. Stan and Soos went back down the stairs together, ready to go and bleed whichever poor soul walked in dry.

Door shut once more, Mabel immediately tried to pry the ring off her finger, but it stayed stubbornly in place, not budging an inch. The stone seemed to mock her, twinkling in the light with no intention of moving off her finger. With a snarl, she clawed once more at the ring, leaving angry red welts on her hand from her nails.

She wanted to get a pair of pliers and tear the ring off her finger, but she knew Bill would probably let her cut off her finger before she got the ring removed. She wanted to wake her brother up, and get an awkward sibling hug she hadn't gotten in years, but she knew that he needed his sleep, and that Bill might need time to fix his mind.

Without any options, Mabel laid down on her bed, curled up, and did just as her brother did. She slept.

* * *

The demon silently watched his town, paying close attention to a certain Mystery Shack with a very important girl in it. He watched her scream as she saw the ring and the yellow stone sitting on her finger. He watched as her scream brought her family, and watched as she did her best to steer them away.

Luckily for her, but with certainly no involvement with him, the door chimed and they left. Bill watched as she viciously attacked her finger, trying to pry off his mark. He could have done worse, the traditional mark was a bite on the neck, hard and severe that always left a scar for everyone to see. But he knew she wouldn't appreciate that, and so he left her with a ring in his shape to always remind her of him.

The best part was, it would never come off unless he wished it, and he knew he never would. He watched the red welts appear on her hand, and watched the drops of blood that she didn't seem to notice appear, and the demon was tempted to go back to the real world to wipe the drops of blood off her hand, to taste them-.

Mabel crawled into bed and he studied her silently, silently ruing the fact he couldn't appear to her. Yet her words were clear, she would not be seeing him anytime soon unless she changed her mind. Unless… He could somehow change the terms of the deal. He grinned into the black and white Mindscape, counting the seconds until her heart beat slowed and she would fall into a slumber, and dream about someone that wasn't him.

It didn't bother him that she was dreaming about someone else. Soon she would be his, and he would always occupy her thoughts. Just two human years, two blinks of an eye for him, and he would have her in his grasp. The demon snapped his fingers as she finally fell to sleep.

With a snap of his fingers, he was hovering above her in the air, watching her silently. He couldn't count the time he spent hovering, watching her, but it was longer than he meant, and when he moved away and for the first time in a long, while placed his feet on the floor, the light filtering from the window was dark, no longer brightened by the sun.

Mabel shivered in her sleep, and in a second he snapped his fingers, lifting her blanket up to her shoulders with his magic, tucking it down around her. Her shivering stopped, and Bill nodded to himself. He couldn't have her catching a cold!

The demon slowly leaned down over head, placing a gently kiss into her hair, she wouldn't be plagued by nightmares for a long while.

"Sweet dreams, Shooting Star."

He walked through the doorway, footsteps never making a peep on the wood flooring. Climbing up the staircase as though he was nothing more than a part of the wooden paneling, Bill arrived to where Dipper was just beginning to wake up from his sleep.

On the tip of the demon's finger, a bright blue flame appeared. Dipper was holding his head in his hands trying to regain his grasp on the real world. Bill silently walked towards the teenager, before slowly lowering his finger, the blue flame about to touch Dipper, ready to burn away the madness eating away at the young man.

Then the demon stopped, a sly grin once more spreading across his face. Dipper was still rubbing at his eyes, trying to wake up, and didn't look up as Bill pulled his hand away, the blue light extinguishing, and slowly retreated out of the room.

Dealing with Pine Tree would have to wait, besides he had all the time in the world to fix that problem.

* * *

The bangs of pots and pans awoke Mabel in the morning. Her body felt stiff from laying in one place for the entire night, but she simply stretched, kicking the blanket off her as she moved as well. Her left hand felt hot and a bit tight, but she refused to look down at it yet, simply rising out of bed and heading to the bathroom, ready to wash off the memories of the day before.

The hot water helped her forget, and her hand felt better. At the end she looked down at the ring, knowing it was impossible not to look at it. The ring simply stared back up at her, and Mabel focused on the cuts she didn't remember leaving, and easing the tension out of her fingers. The cuts stung from the hot water.

Smells of breakfast wafted through the air as Mabel rung out her hair and braided it simply, tromping down the stairs and eager to eat something. She stopped at the base of the stairs, too shocked to continue further.

Dipper was rapidly cooking in the kitchen, eating food almost as quickly as he was making it. Stan sat in one of the chairs of the dining table, a mug of coffee in his hands, and a look of absolute disbelief on his face. Mabel loudly walked through the kitchen the moment her shock faded, pretending not to notice the grateful look Stan gave her.

"Dipper! Feeling better today?"

She reached over and snagged a piece of toast he was making. He gave her a not-so-amused look, and Mabel felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders. She didn't realize how much she had missed him until he was back to normal, standing in front of her.

"Yeah, what do you want to do today bro-bro?" She asked, munching on the dry toast.

Stan groaned in the background, thinking he knew the answer. Yet Mabel had to ask, she had to know what he would say.

Dipper's eyes lit up.

"I want to go to the waterfall, apparently there's this ogre who lives behind where the water falls in a cave, and-".

Mabel tuned him out, the bread tasting like a brick in her mouth and her hopes falling faster than she thought possible. Dipper was already pulling out his journal, opening to a random page and showing it to her, but Mabel wasn't looking at the page, she was looking down at her hand, which still stung when she tightened her fist. One thought raced across her mind

He _lied._

* * *

 

The pounding of the waterfall soothed her, and Mabel was ready to face whatever terrible ogre lived behind the falls and defeat it. Dipper hadn't stopped talking the whole way there, too excited that she might be getting into the journal like he was and she didn't have the heart to deny him. Instead she tugged at her ring, trying to get it off, but it wouldn't budge. Not that she expected it to though.

She wasn't looking forward to getting wet though, and watched her brother plunge under the torrent first before following right after. The cave was dark, and she hadn't thought to wear the sweater that glowed in the dark, and luckily Dipper was smart enough to prepare and shined a flashlight around, showing the darkened insides of the cave.

At first there was nothing as they climbed over rocks and slipped over the areas covered in algae. Yet, as they took more steps and found more things, a piece of fabric, a lost shoe, a random shiny object, Mabel felt the sense of unease that followed her. arising in the pit of her stomach and heard the horrible voice that sounded oh so right when it said to leave and turn back because they weren't going to find a fairy at the end of this cave.

Dipper reassured her fears though, and they trekked on. The cave seemed to have no ending, as they walked and walked until the stones were too jagged to walk through without climbing over, and the sound of the waterfall was just a background noise. Just when she was going to insist they turn back, because heck, they could just see an ogre on KerhS, a heavy breathing interrupted their journey.

It was a massive thing barely able to have room to sit on the cutting black rocks. It was almost facing them, slightly turned to the side as it seemed to stare blankly at the wall, chewing idly on something. Its fat stomach hung out, and the thing looked like it hadn't moved in years, simply sitting and happy to watch the wall in front of it. Mabel nearly screamed at the sight of it, except Dipper thrust his hand over her mouth, used to his twin's reactions.

"Isn't this the best?"

Dipper was already paging through the journal for the page on the ogre, scribbling down observations as he inched closer and closer, kicking at rocks to move them away. Dipper didn't seem to notice the ogre twitch at the sound, but Mabel did, and she scrambled after her brother.

"Dipper, wait-!"

Too late. Not watching her feet, she tripped over a jagged ragged stone and came tumbling down with a yelp, and brought the ogre's attention right towards her.

The thing let out a bellow of a roar, picking up a club next to it. Mabel scrambled to her feet, scraping her hands and knees and ripping fabric getting up and turning away as fast as she can, trying to keep her eyes on the beast before her and knowing that it was impossible if she wanted to get away. Dipper was shouting in the background, but she couldn't hear him, too intent on the monster in front of her.

The club rose in the air and came down with a sharp whistle, Mabel crashed into another sharp rock to get away. The rock cut at her cheek, but it was better than having her head bashed in by the ogre's club. Dipper was still screaming in the background, she could hear him as the ogre turned away from her and focused on the only other human in the room, who was waving his arms and trying to get attention away from her. The ogre stumbled away from her on legs that were more like stumps than anything else, heading towards her twin.

Dipper backed away slowly, until his back was against the cave wall, and the ogre raised the club high in the air, and Dipper dropped the journal for the first time Mabel could ever think of to protect his head.

She was up in an instant, pushing him out of the way, and ready to take the blow for herself, because she didn't give up everything so that he could die just a day after making a deal with the devil. Then, a voice rang through her head, and time stopped once more.

"Shooting Star, am I always going to have to save you like this?"


	6. How about we revise that deal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being one of my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to riddleyrose for your comment!
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this.
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

The little colour in the cave drained away, bleeding as Bill froze time and pulled her into the Mindscape. He was by her side in a second, pulling her away from the fall of the ogre's blow even though it wasn't moving any more. She almost tripped over another stone but Bill was still holding onto her arm, and the moment her feet were back on solid ground. She ripped her arm out of his grasp.

"What are you doing here?" She spat at him.

Mabel moved away and turned to where her brother was still recovering on the ground, looking dazed and confused. Blood was beginning to trickle down his forehead in a crimson line.

He didn't answer, and she turned back to see him staring at the ogre, an unreadable emotion playing across his face. Mabel attempted to ignore him, twisting back to her brother yet again. But time was still frozen, and she couldn't do anything.

"Bill!" She snapped with more anger this time.

The demon finally looked at her. With a shiver, Mabel now now recognized the emotion on his face, its anger.

"An ogre? Really?"

The sarcasm is harsh in his voice, and she scowled at him. Mabel crossed her arms and ignoring the way her palms scraped against her sweater, drawing more blood across the fabric.

"What was I supposed to do?" Mabel challenged. "Let him go off and kill himself?"

The demon stalked forward towards her, but she refused to back down. Mabel did not take a step back until his chest pressed against hers. When she did move away, the scowl on his face deepened and he followed her. Mabel tried to move to the side but he trapped her in, back is pressed against a rock. His hands were on either side of her, holding her pinned in place.

"That is exactly what you're  _supposed_  to do!" He responded, mocking her exasperate tone.

Her hands reached up to his chest, attempting to push him away. It was like pushing the stone behind her. Bill didn't even seem to notice her dislike of the compromising position.

"If your brother wants to get himself killed, he can be my guest! But we have a deal! And you are not-!"

"Why does it even matter?" She yelled back. "You didn't even keep your end of the deal you jerk!"

Bill scowled even harsher, his eyes practically growing red in the dark of the cave. It was a shocking contrast to his normally cheerful self. For a second, he leaned back as if something had distracted him. Mabel almost thought that she could walk away. But in a flash; he was leaning towards her again, his hands having grabbed her.s Mabel felt her heart skip a beat when he pinned her back to the boulder without even the using her arms to push him away. His gloved fingers ran over her scraped palms, easily spreading the blood that lingered there. Mabel shivered as frigid sensation passed through the spots.

"Don't try to play these games with me, Shooting Star." He growled. "I haven't done anything to break our deal."

His fingers wound through hers. On her left hand, he twisted the ring around on her finger. For a moment, she thought it had slipped upwards, but in a second it was back in place, and she realized something. Bill could take it off. Then he let go of the ring, and sharply pinched the flesh there. Mabel ground her teeth, knowing it wouldn't help her one bit if she tried to protest.

"Our deal is set and you are mine, I'm not gonna' have you go off and kill yourself just for your brother!" Bill was shouting, his pinching growing harsher with each word.

"You didn't even make him better!" Mabel shot back. "You expect me to keep my end when you won't keep yours?"

Bill rolled his eyes at her words.

"Ah, you never said when I had to fix him, so the deal still stands."

"And nothing ever said I had to he alive for you to marry me! Get a body for all I care! At least you'd finally have someone to match you when it comes to rotten personality!"

The words had flown out of her mouth before she could stop them. Mabel tried to cover her mouth him shock, but his fingers were still laced with hers. His grip tightened, and for a moment she visualized him breaking off each of her fingers like little tiny toothpicks. He took a shuddering breath, and then gave her an uneasy smile.

"You know, most demons aren't nice enough to give their spouses time with their family after they get married. Often times, their family just seems to... Waste away without them there."

Mabel stared at the demon in shock at the implications. The threat of her family was one that she'd never take. Mabel waited for him to say something else, but he didn't seem to have anything more to say. He was just content with standing over her, keeping her in place. But then his mouth opened, and she knew that she was in trouble now.

"Unless you want to change the terms of the deal?" He offered.

She shoved him away ins disgust at the statement. Mabel didn't know if it was because he didn't expect or because he let her. She wasn't going to dwell on the fact either. Her right hand goes to cradle her left, which throbbed and pulsed with pain and. Mabel knew it was going to be swollen and unable to move tomorrow. Bill glanced at her hand as well, yet didn't react to the injury that he caused her. He simply stared at her, waiting for her to speak this time.

"What more do you want from me?"

She silently pleaded that maybe there would be an ounce of kindness there, but a feral grin crossed his face. Dread filled her at the sight. She wouldn't get out of the Mindscape unless she agreed. She tried to bend her fingers and work some feeling back into them, but the pain was too much.

"I hafta' say, I was pretty generous with the first time around. It left a lot to be desired ya' know. But most important, you want your brother's mind fixed now. Am I right?"

A simple nod was his answer. He pounced forward again, this time a hand on her waist and cradling on the stone behind her. Mabel found it irritatingly difficult to breathe without taking in the scent that is spice and something dark that can only be described as Bill. She reached up and put a hand on Bill's shoulder to push him away. Yet he was just like the stone behind her still, and didn't move. He leaned closer to her lips and whispered;

"I think you know what I want, Shooting Star."

Of course she did, but she didn't want to say it. Mabel's throat constricted as his thumb traced circles on her waist, and thoughts raced across her mind about what she was going to have to give up in this cave. What she thought she was never going to have to give up until her wedding night with someone she loved. Not a demon.

Bill jumped back suddenly, as though she had burned him. He looked at her with an expression of shock. Her right hand went back to cradling her left, and Bill looked around, seemingly torn on what to do. Finally, he took a deep breath. Mabel watched him take another step back.

"One of the years, give up one of the years you had and I'll fix Pine Tree's mind right now."

The demon rushed the words, as though they seared in his throat. Mabel did not even have to think of what her answer was going to be. Mabel nodded, too relieved that he asked for something, anything else than what she had been thinking of. Bill snapped his fingers and a blue flame shot out, snaking its way through the air and right to Dipper, burning around his head but not leaving a single mark. Mabel breathed a bit easier as Bill stayed where he was.

"Now about that ogre…" He continued.

Mabel suddenly remembered that Bill isn't the only powerful creature in the room. Granted, there was a great margin of difference between how powerful the two were, yet it was still there. He was the only one who isn't frozen in time. Easily, she decides that she would rather face the ogre than go against Bill in his bad moods. At least with ogre she might have a chance of coming out on top. Mabel didn't have to ask what he wants so that he can get rid of the ogre, the demon is already talking.

"I can get rid of him easily, and all I want is to be able to visit my future fiancé outside of the Mindscape."

She wants to spit the word no in his face, and say she would rather face the ogre by herself than deal with Bill any more than she already has. Yet her sweater is ripped and probably not salvageable, her palms and knees still bleed from falling on the ground, and her ring finger won't bend properly without pain and she is certain that it's broken. Bill has already taken so much from her, what more could she have left to lose at this point by agreeing?

"Just… Just get rid of the stupid ogre and leave me alone."

The demon grinned in the dark of the cave and Mabel found herself on the floor of the cave with the ogre's club hurtling down towards her. It glanced off her, and the ogre stumbled back. She watched as it focused on something towards the outside of the cave. It hurried through the rocks as fast as it could go.

The aches and pains that were dull in the Mindscape now flared in the real world. Her head felt hot and heavy like she took a nap in the hot summer sun. Her hands and knees burned from falling. Dipper lied on the ground next to her, groaning and holding his head. Whatever her head felt like he was probably feeling worse. She picked herself off the ground and helped Dipper up. He was still groaning, sounding like he was in a great deal more pain than her.

Together they walked through the cave and out to where the sun how hung low in the sky. Mabel had to carry Dipper the rest of the way back home. Still, she doesn't say anything because her brother needed her. She could complain later. Mabel heard the constant sound of footsteps echoing behind her, making sure that they get out of the forest and back to the Mystery Shack safe and sound.

She made it two steps with the Mystery Shack in sight when her legs gave out, knees buckling beneath her. She fell and brought down Dipper with her. A certain someone caught her but Mabel didn't have the strength to fight him off. He lifted her up and placed her on the porch of the Mystery Shack, ringing the bell to get Grunkle Stan.

The ghostly presence blew a mocking kiss at Mabel, before heading in the direction of the Ogre that had nearly killed her. After all, it was only fair that he returned the favour was it not?


	7. Favours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being one of my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to riddleyrose and LittleOwl for your comment!
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this.
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Stan figured out that Mabel's finger was broken, it had swollen up and needed to be iced just to keep it from getting more damage. Stan didn't notice the ring on her finger. She tried to take it off, just to have her finger heal, but it wouldn't come off. Her palms and knees got bandaged as well, and her body had more bruises than she could ever count. But she made sure to stay by her brother the whole time while Stan patched him up. Her brother got his head wrapped. All the while Stan complained that they could have died, and were costing him money with all the medical supplies they were using for treatment.

Stan sent them to the kitchen to make food. Dipper and Mabel ate everything that didn't have a waiting time, and passed out in front of the television. They pretended not to hear Stan's simple sigh of relief that they came home safe and sound. The twins drifted off to sleep, watching horrible Gravity Falls television. Before they fall into calm, inky, darkness Mabel asked her brother;

"Do you like my new ring?"

It doesn't surprise her when he mumbled out;

"What ring?"

* * *

They awoke in the morning still lying in front of the television. Stan was never one to carry them up to bed. The TV was still on and played a movie neither of them recognized. The twins were too sore to move. But Dipper rose before Mabel mustered up the will to stand.

With the meagre kitchen supplies, he made her a breakfast of cereal. Mabel nearly cried. It had been ages since her brother had last tried to take care of her like this. Bill really had kept his word this time. The thought of the deal made her stomach sink. She would have to tell her brother...

Dipper sat down next to her with his own bowl and started to eat.

"Bro-Bro?" Mabel tentatively asked.

"Mmn?" He hummed through his mouthful of cereal.

Mabel opener her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find the words or the heart to explain her actions.

"T-thanks."

Dipper shrugged like it was nothing, not understanding where his sister's emotional thank-you had come from. But to Mabel, it was not nothing. It was having her brother back. And when she came to pay the price for her actions, it would all be worth it. Even if it was only a year.

* * *

It was the middle of the day when Dipper realized he must have dropped the Journal in then cave. Mabel held her breath as Dipper tried to think of a way to get it back, before Mabel said that she isn't going back there if her life depends on it. Dipper reluctantly seemed to give up for the time being.

"It's not worth it. Not when we could die."

The words shocked Mabel to the core. The old Dipper never would have even thought about these words. But things had changed now, he was going to get better and things would be fine. Mabel fiercely hugged her brother, and for the first time in a long time, he hugged back.

"It's just an old book after all." Dipper shrugged.

She wanted to scream at him because it wasn't just a book, it was months and years of his life. Time taken away from him. Time taken away from her as she feared she was never going to get him back. A few tears leaked out of her eyes. Mabel had cried more in the last forty-eight hours than she has in years. She didn't care.

Dipper pulled away and they spend the day with Stan and Soos playing board games and watching old movies on television. It was a perfect day, and for the first time she thought that maybe the deal was good. At the very least she had gotten a day like this, and it's more than she thought she would ever get.

Many more days passed without incident. Mabel slept soundly at night back in the attic, with her brother snoring next to her. The adventures now have to find them now, and that's okay with her. They're safe, and something that they can handle, so they don't go looking for trouble. The ring on her finger doesn't seem as heavy either, and she can almost forget about it.

* * *

The demon watched over the Mystery Shack often, forgetting the rest of the town as he watches a certain family named after a tree. He watched the whole family of course. And the gnomes, they were hilarious with their tiny little overalls and fractured governmental system! But mostly, he watched the family. The same family that she belonged to, the one who captured his attention.

He watched as she smiled and laughed and seemed happy again, only a tiny flicker of worry and doubt crossing her thoughts. He made sure to clear her head of that though. She was happy, and he almost felt proud of himself. Weird. After all, he was the one who caused it, from the ring sitting on her finger, to the sanity of her brother's mind, it was all him.

He idly brushed off muck and blood from his canary-yellow suit. It was from the ogre naturally. It fell hard and fast to the blunt of his rage. The stupid thing barely stood a chance as he used it for target practice. The beast's blood still stained the suit. Man was that going to be a pain to get out. There was no way a dry cleaner would be able to fix that problem. He'd just have to burn this one and find an exact replica. Good thing he bought in surplus.

It's probably a good thing that no one's around to see his blood-slicked clothes. He probably made quite the gory sight, and he wasn't in the mood to watch people run away from him in fear. Which was a little odd come to think of it. Normally, he was always in the mood to relish upon the fears if the weak-minded. What was up with that?

Bill sits and listened to the beating of the clock, and wondered if he should go and visit Mabel while she's still happy. But he decided against it. She had had enough of him for a while, and deserved a break.

Part of him still cringed at the thought of her hurt expression when he held her in his arms and implied something that he wasn't even thinking about.

_'Smooth, real smooth._ ' He inwardly reprimanded himself.

He was used to simply plastering on the charm and getting what he wanted that way. He could get all the ladies with his great sense of omnipotence and fashion if he wanted to! Unless that lady was a teenaged girl named Mabel... Did... Did his interest in her make him a pedophile? No, no. Humans didn't live as long as he did. She could be wrinkly and old and that would still be a huge gap. But... Did having interests in a human make him into beastality? They weren't the same species... That was kinda' creepy come to think of it. Wait, why did he care about that?!

The demon remembered her cradling her hurt hand and wanting to reach out to heal it, but knowing he couldn't. As much as he loathed to admit it, his non-mental healing powers were pretty weak. Mabel seemed content to let it heal normally, so he didn't bother to interfere.

_'She would have given us what we wanted.'_  The voice whispered in the back of his mind.

It's sharp fingers left icy tendrils across the back of his head. He didn't like the feeling of the cold and attempted to will it away. The clock ticked louder in the background of his thoughts. Each stroke reverberated endlessly in time.

"I didn't want that though." He answered out loud.

He had seen in to her mind, and what she thought he wanted. For a moment, he was going to give in, take everything she had to give. After all, it was her who insisted that he wait two years, two whole years without ever talking to her again! It may have been a short amount of time to him, but for her, it wasn't. Despite this he resisted.

_'Liar.'_  It hissed angrily.

The bad (Alright, even worse than usual.) Conscience disappeared, leaving only anger in it's wake at being denied. Shudders racked the demon's form spread through him, and fingers tingled down his spine. It left him without air in his lungs, something he would've like to avoid.

When someone pulls him for a deal, he didn't resist the tugging. The rush of time and space around him left him spinning. He had to make sure that he was in his natural form of the golden triangle. Being in the human form around her was just normal at this point.

The room he appears in is cold and dark, with bricks of mortar and cement piling around him. There's someone standing in front of him, and the demon hardly even recognizes the bright crop of white hair when it isn't gelled up.

The child psychic had certainly grew up, no longer short and stubby, the young man finally gained some height and his arms were toned with muscles hiding just under the surface. Finally the bright white hair was cropped short, almost in a military haircut.

"Well, if it isn't Lil' Gideon!" Bill taunted.

Gideon blushes, splotchy, red skin standing out against his normal pale tone.

"Don't call me that," Gideon growls

Bill grinned, mentally filing away that tid-bit for later. And of course by later, he means every other second. He doesn't bother to try to stop the laughter that bubbles up to the surface. Gideon's entire face went red at the sound of Bill's mocking amusement, making the demon laugh even harder.

"Ah come on Lil' Gideon. Don't you have anything to say to your old friend?" The demon snickered.

He relaxed in the air, putting his hands behind his hat.

"You haven't changed one bit…" The prisoner muttered to himself.

"Nope! So why am I here?" The demon floated around, looking at the contents of Gideon's cell.

On the wall there were letters and poems, and paintings and drawings. From everything to the sunrises and mountain views that decorated Gravity Falls. In the centre pictures and paintings of Mabel were the most decorative, with details abound and too many for the demon to be comfortable with. He wrote what could only be described as fan literary stories about Mabel and himself killing her family and marrying each other... Gideon was one messed up marshmallow. He felt a surge of protective anger after getting over the initial shock at this. He'd have to keep Gideon away from her if he got out of jail again.

"I want out of here."

The so- called psychic interrupted Bill's thoughts, with his completely expected statement. The kid wouldn't last a day in the Infintentry. He turned to the teen still waiting to see what Bill would do. The demon ran over his options. Gideon was annoying, but basically harmless, and if Bill got him out, Gideon would owe him something, a favour or sorts. Maybe he could ask for him to permanently loose his stupid voice! Or inform him that he used to much moistureizer on his hands before draining all the water from his body! Then he really would look like a marshmallow!

"Tell ya' what, I'll let you out, you'll just owe me a favour this time around." He offered. "But we can talk more about that later! Deal?"

Gideon's eyes lit up and he shook the demon's hand. Nothing more happened. Bill laughed and suddenly they were outside the prison, where alarm bells were already ringing in the wake of a prisoner gone missing.

"Better run for the hills kid!"

Gideon didn't ask for more help, and Bill didn't offer. The white-haired teen gallivanted off into the forest, while Bill disappeared back into the Mindscape, ready to check up on a certain Pines girl who still held his attention.

* * *

There was a month of freedom and it was more than Mabel had ever hoped for. A whole month of wondering if Bill was going to magically appear on her doorstep every time the bell rang, and it's a month of falling asleep every night wondering if he is going to appear in her dreams and turn them to nightmares. Yet nothing happened. So slowly she stopped jumping every time she heard the bell ring while a customer appears.

Her brother got better and they spend too much time running the Mystery Shack together. Of course, they find more mysteries and create new attractions together, but everything the twins do is now together. Mabel's never alone.

To her, everything is okay for a while. Things are find now that she had her brother back to normal. Her original paranoia faded away. Of course, it was all too good to be true. One night, she fell asleep and found Bill in her dreams.

He appeared in his human form in her room, and stared at her as though he is trying to figure out a puzzle which she presented to him. She didn't say anything to him. Mabel didn't want to cause a scene or get in to an argument with him. She sat up in bed, which caused him to move away to the other side of the room.

He still kept staring at her though. Mabel didn't speak. Breaking the silence that Bill seemed content with wasn't a good idea. With his eyes so focused on her, Mabel could not help but stare back at him. He started to tap his fingers against the wall again, in a familiar rhythmic pattern.

For a while he didn't say anything and she rolled her eyes and tried to get back to sleep, but she knew she wouldn't get out of the Mindscape without Bill letting her out. She eventually rolled over and got out of bed, and found her knitting supplies from the closet.

Everything was a mixture of grey, and Mabel couldn't finish the project she has been working on because it had so many different colours, so she put it aside and grabs a ball of yarn and started knitting. She secretly hoped that it was not the fancy yarn she got in a trip to San Francisco that cost her a month's allowance. That yarn she was saving. For what she didn't know, but for something important she knew she would make.

Bill watched her, with silence as his only friend- Wait, scratch that, silence hated him. So, with silence as his only company, he observed. She began knitting a scarf just to have something to do. All the while he didn't stop watching her. He stood in the corner and seemed to be at a loss for words. They didn't do anything. Mabel was worried about breaking the silence and what he would do then, and Bill just seemed happy to watch her.

Mabel felt unrest in her stomach, and finally couldn't take the silence any more. The tapping of his fingers was driving them both insane.

"You know, Dipper left his Journal in the cave."

Bill raised an eyebrow, and gave her an almost 'so what?' expression. Mabel had to fight not to sigh in exasperation.

"I was thinking of going back there and getting it. He's all better now, so I don't have to worry about him getting obsessed again."

Bill growled low in his throat. Mabel felt her heart leap as she wondered if she had done something wrong. Her fingers throbbed painfully as she remembered their last encounter. Mabel quickly focused back on her knitting. She didn't look up as she heard him shuffle around and make his way towards her.

"No way in hell."

"Well, it's not like anyone else can go get it. I guess I'll just-."

The demon waved his hand, and the journal appeared. He dropped it on her lap and sat down next to her on the bed. Mabel hugged the journal to her chest and tried to subtly inch away as his arm brushed against hers.

"You're not going back to that cave. End of discussion."

This time, Mabel couldn't keep the smile off her face as she placed the journal under her pillow and resumed her knitting. Bill's breathing became even and heavy as he was left with nothing to do. She wondered if dream demons sleep.

Finally when time had traveled at the rate which it always did and Mabel sensed the sun rising in the real world, Bill rose. Mabel got a brief glance at him before she was thrown back to her body, and the sun was rising through the window. Knitting needles are still in her hand. She heard a voice whisper;

"Sweet dreams, Shooting Star."


	8. Shut Up and Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being one of my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to LittleOwl and SouthernKittyGal for your comments!
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this.
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

When Mabel suggested a party to celebrate Dipper's return to sanity, she didn't expect Stan to agree. Stan did though, and so they start planning. Flyers were placed all around town, and they invited everyone they could think of. Wendy helped decorate, and Soos set up his DJ booth. However, Dipper seemed to be missing.

The journal was still hidden under her bed, and she planned to give it to Dipper after the party. She was still wary about giving him the journal back, but her twin hadn't shown any signs of falling back into his habits.

She found him sitting on the roof of the Shack, in the spot he always sat in when he was thinking. Below him, Stan was setting up a table to charge the admittance fee, and the sun was starting to sink below the horizon. Mabel placed herself next to him, with a cheerful yelp for she was never the quiet one. Dipper glanced at her, but didn't speak.

"What're you doing up here? The party's about to begin!"

She nudged her shoulder against his, trying to raise her brother's spirits, but the younger- by- five- minutes twin seemed to be having none of it. He sighed, and they watched people begin to file into the party and music begins to playour from downstairs.

"Bro?" She tentatively voiced when her brother didn't respond.

Her twin looked at her, but still didn't say anything for a moment. They listened to the newest pop song, and Mabel was reminded of when they met the Society of the Blind Eye. When Wendy had that horrible pop song stuck in her head.

"It's just… I don't… I don't know!" He suddenly exploded, throwing his hands up. "The last couple of months, I don't remember that much. It's all a big haze."

She wondered if the flame that had burned around her brother's head had burned more than just his obsession.

"What do you mean, bro?"

"Sometimes I see things and they look so different. When did Wendy cut her hair? Did I quit the baseball team because I haven't heard of any of them for a while? Why haven't mom and dad called? Does anyone know where the hell Gompers is?" Dipper just seemed to stop with the questions, his head in his hands.

So much of his life had been with that journal, buried in the pages of ink and drawings. He spent weeks and months and years looking at the pages. Mabel was struck by a thought, that maybe when Bill burned away his obsession, he burned away memories. He didn't remember getting so involved in the journal, and so he doesn't feel a loss with not having it.

"Come on, Dippin' Dots, we'll go have cake and maybe you can score a dance with Pacifica?"

Mabel wagged her eyebrows. At the mention of Pacifica, Dipper's face reddened a bit, but he tried to remain casual.

"Why would I want to dance with that horrible person?" He tried to sound disgusted, but his voice came out as a whine.

Mabel knew a victory when it was in her grasp.

"Can't fool the Love Goddess!" She cheered as she jumped up, pulling her brother up with her. "Come on, Dipper, I'm the one who got Robbie and Tambry together, I know everything!"

"Wasn't that only because of a love potion?" Dipper asked amusedly, letting his twin drag him off of the roof.

"Nope! I don't know what you're talking about."

She didn't even bother to turn around as Dipper called for her to slow down.

* * *

Music shook the walls of the Mystery Shack, making the old wooden frames shake in place. Mabel immediately pulled her brother to the swarm of people already dancing to the latest hip hop song. She didn't care how much of a dork she looked like, she threw her hands in the air and made Dipper do the same. When a smile finally broke out over his face, she finally relaxed.

Stan overcharged for drinks but let Mabel have one on the house. When the songs take a break, she downs something fruity and sweet that burns on the way down. Dipper is still dancing in the crowd and almost didn't notice when Pacifica came close and started dancing beside him. When Dipper did notice, Mabel giggled. He stopped dancing for the briefest of moments, shocked at who was dancing with him, but returned to just dancing.

Her fruity drink got another free refill when Stan wasn't looking, and this time she could taste it as it went down her throat. A guy with brown hair passed her and winked. Mabel blushed at the sudden attention, before smiling back at him. He grabbed an overpriced drink from Stan and pays the price the con man quotes him. He walked back to Mabel with a smile on his face.

"What are you doing back here, beautiful?" His voice is low, and he has to shout to make his voice heard to her.

Mabel doesn't pause though, her flirting perfected over the years.

"Just waiting for you, handsome." She takes a sip of her drink, and hopes she looks nice despite the sweat on her forehead from dancing.

"Nick," He introduces, sticking out his hand. Mabel shook it easily.

"Mabel, but you can call me the girl of your dreams."

Nick laughs and Mabel laughed with him. The same line that she used for years as a kid to open the conversation now never failed to break the ice.

Soos decided to change the music as the most recent number one hit ended. A slow song came on. Mabel watched over Nick's shoulder as Dipper shyly asked Pacifica to dance. She watched the blonde grab Dipper and drag him to the middle of the dance floor, where they started their slow dance.

"Would you care to dance?" Nick asked her suddenly, bowing at the waist and holding his free hand out.

Mabel giggled at the gesture and takes his hand, placing her drink on the table next to his.

Nick placed his hand on her waist and held her other hand. She rests her left hand on her shoulder. The song played slowly and soundly as they swayed to the beat. Mabel glanced at her hand on his shoulder. Her ring stared ominously at her, as though mocking her. Fear rippled through Mabel. Would Bill do anything when he found out about this? After a moment, she decided she didn't care. If Bill decided he didn't want her dancing with someone, he needed to tell her. He never said she had to be exclusive.

She had a year left, and she would date anyone she wanted to in that time. Bill couldn't control her!

"I haven't seen you in Gravity Falls before, did you just move here?"

The music is quiet enough that she doesn't have to scream to be heard.

"I moved here a couple months ago." He answered easily.

Mabel nodded, and they lapsed back into silence once more. She glanced over his shoulder a couple times to see Pacifica and Dipper dancing close together, her hands around his neck, and his arms around her waist.

The song ended, and Mabel lets Nick lead her off the floor, even though she wanted to dance more. He went off to get her a snack because their drinks were still waiting on the table for them. Her sweet drink didn't taste as sweet, it almost tasted as if it had more alcohol in it before. The thought gets disregarded though, because she knows everyone in Gravity Falls and everyone knows her. No one would intentionally spike her drink.

Nick came back and handed her a bag of chips that are way too salty for her tastes, but she didn't complain. They make small talk and watch Toby Determined try to tap dance and fail. Dipper and Pacifica eventually leave to go up to Dipper's spot on the roof, where Mabel was sure that they wouldn't do any talking.

Mabel finished the chips and drink, and dragged Nick onto the dance floor. She wanted to dance before the night was over. She was still too full of energy to waste away talking, even if the boy was super cute. Wendy gave her a thumbs up, and Soos put on her favourite songs.

"Last song of the night, dudes!" Soos' voice rang out of the air.

Nick doesn't even ask her to dance this time, simply grabbing her hand as the slower song starts.

The first few notes of the song play over the crowd, and Mabel places her hand on Nick's chest as the people without someone to dance with file out of the dance floor. Nick smiled down at her, even though he was only a couple inches taller than her.

A hand tapped her on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?"

Mabel froze at the voice because she knew exactly who it belonged to. Nick glared at him over her shoulder. Mabel was suddenly aware of how much damage Bill could do. Mabel took her hand from Nick's and turned to Bill, giving Nick a smile so he doesn't worry. A second longer of intense staring lasted between the two males, before Nick moved away.

Bill placed his hand on her waist and took her hand in his, twirling her away from where Nick was standing. His fingers laced with hers, and for a moment she remembers pain racing through her hand. She didn't want to admit how she flinched when his fingers tighten on hers. His hand on her waist is gentle though, leading her through the dance.

The song is halfway over when his hand on her waist suddenly tightened. He pulled her a little closer than she was comfortable with. Her chest was almost pressing against his. She tried to pull away a bit, but his hand tightened to keep her in place. Mabel sighed through her nose, and his grip hardens.

Bill also sighs, seemingly disappointed by this turn of events.

"I don't remember saying that you could dance with other men." He whispered in her ear, leaning down.

"I don't remember you saying I couldn't," She whispered back, allowing herself to be spun in a circle. "Unless you want to change the terms of the deal?"

Mabel smiled sweetly at him. She repeated the words he used against her. Bill stared down at her for a moment, and she meets his gaze with no hesitance. He doesn't speak to her again.

The song ends, and Bill bowed low to her like a gentleman. The gesture on him didn't seem as cute as when Nick had done it. In a wave of movement she wasn't sure she really sawees, he was holding a purple hyacinth. He tucked it into her hair with gentle fingers she wanted to cringe from but couldn't. The demon placed a kiss on the hand he injured, and walked away like he was never there.

Nick came to her side and asked her who that was. Mabel realized that there was no way she could tell him the truth. Mabel told him she doesn't know, but he was a little creepy. He seemed okay with that explanation. Before he left, Nick gave Mabel his number. She put it away for later with a triumphant smile.

* * *

Cleaning up after the always party took a while. And this time was no exception to the rule. By the time they finished it was right after midnight. Dipper had already passed out in his bed when Mabel finally crawled into her own. Before she falls asleep though, she grabs her phone, suddenly curious about something. She quickly tapped question in to her search bar, and was surprised at the result.

_'Hyacinth's (purple) often mean an apology, or feelings of sorrow.'_

Mabel scoffed as she placed her phone on her nightstand. Well, if the demon wanted to apologize for breaking her finger, he was going to have to try harder than that.


	9. Help Please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being one of my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to riddleyrose and SouthernKittyGal for your comments!
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this.
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

He was cold. Gideon didn't know why it was so cold, but he could see his breath when he lets out the air from his lungs. The mist of the waterfall drenched his clothes, leaving him chilled to the bone. He stumbled over the rocks, feet catching on slippery stones, making him fall. He rose though, once more trying to find shelter in the rocks. There was no solace though, leaving him with an endless path through the rocks.

He didn't know how he made it this far. He hadn't had any food for days. Water came from the sky, when it decided to fall. Even then, he would have died from dehydration if it hadn't been for him finding the falls. The water let him live, but he wouldn't last much longer if he couldn't find food. Gideon stumbled over another rock, pretty sure he heard something break in his ankle that time.

Maybe there were fish in the pool where the waterfall fell into. He didn't have the strength nor the tools to go fishing. He sat down on the rocks, looking at the waterfall, rubbing his now swelling ankle. Why did he want to leave the prison? The prison was safe. The prison was warm. He was so cold, shivering in his thin prison jumpsuit. Everything hurt. He was so cold.

Something glittered in the waterfall. He thought it was a trick of the light, or his mind playing tricks on him. He wouldn't be surprised if it was his mind. Everything was starting to get blurry around the edges now. Gideon focused on the sparkle, wondering if it would appear again. The glittering flickered again.

What could it be? His curiosity overcame him. The pain in his ankle almost made him pass out, but he limped on it anyways, making sure to stop whenever he needed to. Eventually though he made it to the falls, and walked through the pounding water, almost collapsing from the strength of it. He collapsed on the other side, panting from pain and exhaustion.

It was a cave. It seemed to go on for miles, endless in its journey. Gideon crawled on his stomach, getting away from the mist and water still coating the area. He stopped when the ground was dry, finally rolling onto his back. He fell asleep to the roar of the waterfall, lulling him to sleep.

"Man, you sure got yourself in a pickle here didn't ya?" A high pitched voice woke Gideon out of his sleep. He sat up, gasping in pain as his ankle moved. It was swollen to twice its regular size. He didn't have anything to bind it with though.

Bill hovered above him, grinning down as much as the triangle could. Gideon stared up at him, waiting for the demon to say something, but Bill seemed content with silence and the roar of the waterfall.

"What do you want?" Gideon tried to sit up, but collapsed back down when his arms wouldn't support him. Bill laughed at his efforts.

"Geeze can't a dream-demon look into his current investments?"

Gideon remained silent.

"You're not doing well kid. At this rate you're going to die before I can get my favour out of you!"

Bill floated down, tapping his cane against Gideon's forehead.

"What do you want?" Gideon repeated the same question again, refusing to give into any of the demon's comments.

Bill paused.

"Well, I can't have ya' dying on me before I get a favour out of you can I?" Bill twirled his cane and Gideon watched, suddenly fascinated by the movement.

His ankle felt better, it didn't feel better, but it had a bandage wrapped around it, an icepack on top of that. Bill moved around in the air, waving his cane around like it was a magic wand. Besides Gideon water appeared, along with a couple packages of food. It took all of Gideon's self-control not to tear into the food, to devour it like a starving animal. He wasn't sure how long he could be out here hiding behind the waterfall, waiting for his ankle to heal enough to walk.

Bill stares down at him, and the former child psychic could almost feel the smirk the demon didn't have a mouth to show.

"Why?"

His mouth felt sticky and full of cotton, like he has been asleep for too long.

"Can't have you going south, can I?"

The demon floated above him, tapping his cane against his other hand.

Gideon didn't speak. He didn't want to. His head felt funny, like he needed to go to sleep, but Bill was still there, taking up his attention.

"Alright kid, I see you need your beauty rest. See you on the other side!" Bill shrunk for a moment, before gaining his rightful size. "By the way, let's just say you owe me another favour, sound good?"

Gideon didn't have it in him to protest. He nodded, and Bill vanished from existence. He didn't know if he fell asleep, or if he was simply waking up, but there were the things Bill has left him. He has food now, and behind the food is spare bandages for his ankle. He wondered if it will be worth another favour owed to the dream-demon. He didn't care. It meant he could live for another day.

He reached into his pocket and tightly held his white candle. It took him years to get a hold of one, to be able to summon the demon to get out of prison. Years of building up relationships with prisoners, getting favours, all for the candle which sat in his pocket. One pocket, one item to take with him out of prison. He knew which one he was going to take with him. The demon hadn't seemed to notice when he swiped the candle out of the summoning circle.

It would all be worth it though. He would go to Gravity Falls. The people were sheep there, and would let themselves be herded by him once more. Time was all he needed. He had plenty of time.

Plenty of time…

Mabel pressed the purple hyacinth. It lost some of its shape, and some of its beauty faded into the papers it had been pressed between. She still kept it though, pressed in into a frame and hung it on the wall. She hung it over her bed, watching it as she fell asleep. Nick's number sats in the drawer of her night stand, untouched since she put it there.

Bill visited her again and again. After the third time of his visits, she went and colour-coded her yarn, making labels for each of them. She began to leave notes for herself around the house, reminders of what she did in the day so that she wouldn't do them again. A countless amount of sweaters and scarves are made. She begins to post them online and sell them. Bill sits with her, talking and making suggestions for sweater ideas. She took the ideas more than she ignored him.

He wore that suit all the time, the one that is canary yellow. Mabel didn't think he had any other clothes. She began to kit a scarf that was the same colour of his suit, with matching black trim on it.

The scarf was done in a day or two, but she put it in her closet. Bill sat next to her on her bed and listened to her begining to knit a new sweater. The eye not hidden behind an eyepatch is closed, and she took her slim opportunity to observe him.

He was slim but not weak. She could feel the power and muscles when he spun her around the dance floor. He stood above her, but not by that much. If anything, he reminded her of Dipper's build, and she started to plan.

"What's your favourite colour?" She asked, her needles pausing.

His eye opens, and she is surprised by the bright amber colour that shines at her.

"Clear." He responded after a moment.

Mabel rolled her eyes at him.

"Clear isn't a color. Come on, what's your favourite colour?"

He smiled a bit, corners of his mouth lifting.

"I thought it would have been obvious," he teased her, gesturing down at his bright yellow suit.

A snort comes out, and she shook her head before looking back down to her work. He sighed, closing his eye as she began to knit once more.

"You need a wardrobe change." She decided with a smile, pausing once more in her knitting. "I'm going to knit you a sweater."

He didn't open his eye this time, but his lips rose again. Mabel nodded, smiling to herself, wondering what she should design on it. Maybe the Eye of Providence, or a brick pattern. It doesn't matter, because she was going to make him something that wasn't yellow. They were going to be married in less than a year, she needed to do something to help bridge the gap. Bill didn't tell her not to, and this first step would be taken by her.


	10. A Ruined Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being one of my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to LittleOwl, CrystallizedInsomniacand, and SouthernKittyGal for your comments!
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this.
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Bill didn't visit Mabel for a couple days, and she was both relieved and upset by this. Relieved, because she sleeps through the night, and didn't have to worry about walking on eggshells around the demon. Yet she was upset, because he just left. She wondered if she did something wrong. Her brother spent all his time at the Northwest Mansion, and Mabel was left to run the Mystery Shack with Stan, and finish her sweater for Bill.

It's a solid gold color, still a shade of yellow, but not as bright. She sewed bricks into it, and on the front there is an eye stitched into it. She placed it in her closet with the scarf she knitted him a while ago. Nervousness twisted in her stomach, making her to scared to fall asleep for a while, until she passed out on her bed.

She slept through the night. When Stan held the tour for a moment and asked her if she was okay, she told him that she was fine. Still though, there was a nagging feeling in her stomach. It took her the rest of the day to figure out what the feeling is. Disappointment had settled into her gut, leaving her with an icy chill.

When she got to her room that night, she pulled open the drawer to her night stand. Mabel took out Nick's number. She had barely spared a thought for the brown-eyed boy who danced with her, and she felt a little guilty for not calling him sooner. At least a call to tell him that she wasn't interested. Yet she stared at the faded pencil marks, and knew that she didn't want to call him to say she was not interested. She dialed the number.

The phone rang, once, twice, three times. She pulled the phone away from her ear, thumb hovering over the button to hang up, thinking to herself that this was a mistake, when a voice sounds through the other end.

"Hello?" Nick's voice sounds a little warped through the phone.

She pressed it back against her ear.

"Hello. Um, this is Mabel from-"

"The party! Hello girl of my dreams." He chuckled, and static crackled in her ears.

Mabel reminded herself to tell Stan they needed a new phone. She laughed as well, some of her worries easing as he spoke.

"Hi Nick. How have you been?"

She twirled the phone cord around her finger, watching it for a moment before unwinding it. She repeated the process.

"I'm good. Just been waiting for a certain girl to call. You might know her she's pretty amazing. And really pretty."

Mabel blushed, glad that he can't see her.

"Oh?" She tries to sound playful. "I think I might know her."

"That's awesome. I was planning on asking her out to dinner, what do you think she'll say?"

Mabel froze, remembering what she had called him for. For a moment, she hesitates.

"Mabel?" Nick calls out through the phone, and Mabel realizes that she has been silent for too long.

Yet Bill doesn't appear magically before her, and Mabel has been lonely without her brother.

"Sorry. I think she'd say yes."

Her heart is racing, and she expects Bill to come and rip the phone out of her grasp. Yet seconds pass and Nick is setting up a time and a place that she almost couldn't make out over the beating of her heart. They say their good byes minutes later.

Tomorrow, she had a date for tomorrow, with Nick. With the same guy who she was originally calling to tell she had no interest in. Mabel changed into her pajamas, wondering if Bill was going to appear to her tonight.

She slept through the night, and disappointment reigns through her. Five o'clock hits and she changed and got ready for her date. It's the first time she has ever been dreading a date with a cute boy.

* * *

 

Nick took her to Greasy's Diner for dinner, and though. Mabel thought it was a bit cheap she doesn't say anything, and orders the pancakes when Lazy Susan takes their orders. Still, they have some of the best pancakes she has ever had, and smiles when Nick took her advice and gets the same thing as her.

He was pleasant, she decided, as she munched on her pancakes. He talked about living in Wisconsin before moving to Gravity Falls, and how for fun he played football. She tuned him out after a while, because she didn't care for sports and what he's talking about. She stared out the window, wondering if there was a way she could get out of this before whatever Nick wanted to do next.

A flash of gold caught her eye, and she leaned towards the window, trying to see it again. But the street outside was dark, and there was nothing there. A single streetlight shone, before it flickered out of existence. Chills ran up her spine.

"Mabel, are you listening?" Nick brought her back to reality. She smiled sheepishly at him.

"Sorry…" She muttered, turning back to him.

Her heart was racing still, but she brushed it off. Nick laughed, going back to his story.

She refused to look at the window, knowing that he was out there, watching her on this date. She stared over Nick's shoulder, not paying attention to his words.

'Don't look out the window, don't look out the window, don't look...'

She glanced at the window, fingers gripping the table with white knuckles. She bit her lip at the scream about to burst out her lips at the bright yellow eye staring at her. Bill stared at her, a gleam in his eye as he looked between her and Nick. Mabel glanced at Nick, still biting her lip, praying that he wouldn't come in here.

'Please don't.' She almost screamed at him in her mind.

Nick was looking at her, asking what she was looking at. Mabel realized he couldn't see Bill.

Bill stared at her for a moment, before sending her a smile and disappearing into the shadows. Mabel let out the sigh of air, relaxing as she couldn't see Bill anymore. She turned to Nick.

"I thought I saw a wolf." She explained cheerfully. "Sometimes they come out of the forest."

It was easier to pretend her heart wasn't beating a mile a minute at the sight of Bill than lie to herself. The worst thing was that she knew that Bill was still out there, waiting for them to come out of the diner.

"Oh... They come out of the forest?" He asked.

"Not often! But a few times..."

"Ugh, I don't like them." He said with a frown. "Their howls are so creepy."

"What were you talking about?" She asked, hoping to distract him.

It worked. Nick started ranting about whatever he had been talking about. Mabel stared out the window again, looking for a glimpse of gold that would catch her eye. She only saw inky blackness staring back at her.

She didn't notice Nick grabbing her glass, slipping something inside it. Still staring out, she grabbed her glass a second later, taking a sip of it.

* * *

 

He walked her home, walking through the dark in the woods which offered no light. It was nice walking earlier with him, but now as she walked home with him, she jumped at every noise. She knew that Bill was probably following them. She kept glancing over her shoulder, looking for him.

Why were they walking through the woods again? She couldn't remember. She remembered seeing Bill outside the window, and Nick paying for the bill, and then it started to get fuzzy. Why was her head fuzzy? Why was she walking through the woods?

Mabel placed her hand on her head, her skin felt hot. Maybe she was getting sick. Nick suddenly had his arm around her waist, and was helping her stand, because her legs felt like jelly. Why had she agreed to go on a date with this guy? He looked so nice with his brown hair and eyes that shone. He danced with her at the party, she remembered that his hand on her waist and a gold eye.

She wished she was home with her brother. She wished that she was home, with her brother knitting. She wished Bill was here because he radiated warmth and felt so nice against her. They had stopped walking, and she looked up hazily at the sky, trying to see the moon. It wasn't there.

A dog, howled, and her head spun. Nick dropped her to the ground and Mabel laid there, groaning. She felt so hot, her head spun, and someone screamed. Was it her? No, it wasn't her. It sounded like Nick, and she found that she didn't care.

Suddenly, she was being carried by someone who radiated warmth. She held on for dear life, as the world titled around her. Gold filled her vision as she opened her eyes, and her hands fisted into a suit jacket.

"Bill?" She muttered, voice thick with tiredness. She could see the moon through the trees now, and it calmed her. She leaned into the warmth he offered.

"Go to sleep Star." His voice was harsh but she sensed it wasn't at her.

She leaned up, burying her face in his neck, taking comfort in his presence. Her head didn't hurt any more, but it still felt fuzzy.

"My head feels strange." She muttered, staring at his collar.

When did it get so white? Was it always like that?

"I know, Star. Go to sleep." He murmured, and for a second she was sure that she felt him brush his lips against her head, but she must have imagined it.

"Don't leave…" She was so tired, the words come out jumbled.

She could barely understand them. Bill hums, and she can feel the vibrations in his chest.

"I won't. Go to sleep."

Mabel felt herself falling to the rhythm of his shoes on the forest floor. She buried her head in his neck, and fell asleep in his arms.


	11. Remeber?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being one of my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to BirdintheCage, LittleOwl, and Riddelyrose for your comments!
> 
> Also thank you to Evil-Ekat on fanfiction.net for helping me with writing this.
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

A pounding headache woke her up the next morning. She stumbled to the bathroom and puked out her guts, barely making it to the toilet in time. Dipper is by her side, offering her a glass of water and asking about what happened last night. She waved him off, taking the water and sipping from it.

"Mabel you have to get up, the police are here."

Dipper was grabbing her shoulders, forcing her to stand and handing her clothes. She looked down at herself, and realized she is still wearing the same thing from last night.

"Police? Why are they here?"

Even after drinking the water her mouth felt like cotton.

Dipper pursed his lips and took her hand to help her change. She didn't feel any better, but Dipper told her the police wouldn't wait, that they have to talk to her. Mabel stumbled down the stairs and tried to remember what happened last night.

Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland wait in the gift shop, browsing while Stan tried to convince them to buy something. They straighten up when she entered, attempting to be all business, but they still look silly. Especially since Durland has a Stan bobble-head in his hands.

"Hey Mabel!"

Durland smiled a moment later, though his loud tone makes the pounding in her head worse. She tried to smile back.

"Mabel, we have some questions for you." Blubs announced, putting his thumbs in his belt. Mabel leans on her brother, and waits.

"Where were you last night at nine?"

Mabel furrows her brow. What time had they left the diner? Things get fuzzy after that. She remembers seeing the color yellow and walking through the forest, a high pitched scream, and seeing Bill. She can't remember anything else, but she realizes that if the police are here, something bad happened.

"I had a date." She goes over in her head, the time when Stan sat her and Dipper down, and taught them the proper way to lie. Telling them it would save their lives one day. Back then, she had shrugged him off.

_'Make eye contact, emit confidence, and don't stutter. Keep your hands by your sides, don't fidget.'_

Now she straightened her back, because she was missing some key to a puzzle here. They knew as much about last night as she did.

"Several people saw you leaving Greasy's Diner last night with a young man." Blubs pushed along, as if trying to get her to talk more. Mabel nodded.

"His name is Nick. I think we left the diner about nine or ten. You know how time flies when you're having fun right?" She looks between Gravity Falls' two police officers. They nodded eagerly, both glancing at each other.

"Did something happen?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

Her hands shook a little, but she ignored it. If she pretended it wasn't happening, the police officers never would. The two never noticed anything unless it was pointed out to him. Blubs and Durland sobered up the moment she asked, looking serious again. Mabel wondered what could be so bad. She waited though, not saying a word.

"Well you see…" Durland started, but seemed unsure how to continue. Blubs ran a hand over his face.

"Some hunters were in the woods, and they found a body. We think it might be Nick Andros, the young man you went on a date with last night. It seems he was attacked by a wild animal." Blubs spoke quietly, pausing after his words.

Mabel couldn't breathe. What happened last night? Her memory was patchy though, and it almost hurt to think back to those hours. There was one thing she was certain of, that Bill was there. She was certain of one other thing too. Bill was responsible for whatever happened to Nick.

Mabel glanced around the room, and everyone looks at her. They are waiting for a reaction. Mabel covered her mouth with her hand to hide her trembling lip, and turns to her brother. Dipper wraps his arms around her, and the sheriff and deputy make noises of pity.

They think that she is upset over the death of her date. Mabel felt a tear slide down her face, and Mabel is happy to let them believe that. Really though, she cried because Bill did something last night, and she could have stopped it.

Blubs and Durland leave shortly after, and Dipper pulls her into the other room. She didn't fight him as he sits her down and sits in front of her, knowing there is another round of questions about to come at her. Mabel still doesn't remember anything after leaving the diner, besides a few flashes.

"Mabel what happened to you last night?" He asked, not even trying to beat around the bush.

Mabel tilted her head, staring at her brother with a confused look on her face.

"What do you mean?" Dipper gives her a hard look. She doesn't give into his stare, despite how her hands are shaking now under the table.

"Mabel, you came home passed out, with a guy who didn't say a fucking word before he dropped you off with me." Dipper paused. "I asked Stan what your date looked like. The only thing Stan knew was that your date had brown hair. The guy who brought you home had blonde hair. Now tell me, what happened?"

Dipper slammed his hand on the table. Mabel didn't even jump. She stared at her brother, not even bothering to try to think of something.

She couldn't lie to her brother though. Mabel rose from the table and out the kitchen, stumbling through the gift shop and out into the woods in the back. She vaguely hears Dipper screaming for her to come back, but he was easy to ignore. She walked through the trees and stumbles a couple times over fallen roots, but doesn't stop.

She ends up at a pond, with frogs that croak loudly and don't have a care in the world. They don't care for her as she collapses on the bank of the muddy pond and sheds a few more tears. Time passes by quickly, and where the sun was once high in the sky, it now sinks below the horizon. The frogs stop croaking, settling into sleep.

The chill of the woods sinks into her skin. Mabel shivered, almost wishing she had grabbed one of her sweaters before leaving, but then she shook off the thought. She wasn't ready to go home yet, to have them ask where she had been all day.

She shivered harder and wrapped her arms around herself. The water was still, and she wondered what she should do. Should she leave? Go back home? Mabel didn't move, shivering a constant thing now.

Warmth covered her, and she tugged the black jacket over herself before she could think about. The scent that radiated from it was oddly familiar, but she couldn't place it. She glanced up at the figure, knowing who it was. Her brother would have said something, only one person would be silent.

"Leave me alone Bill." She told the demon, tugging his jacket closer to her.

Mabel didn't move as he placed himself next to her, crossing his legs.

"Well, that's not any way to talk to the demon who's keeping ya from freezing!" His cheerful voice was much too loud for her ears.

Mabel glared at him.

"I don't want to talk to you at all right now!" She snapped back at him.

He looked at her with confusion.

"Geeze, what did your pig die? What did I do?"

The demon stares at her, and Mabel fights not to roll her eyes.

"Waddles is fine." She comments shortly. "You know what you did! Poor Nick…"

She lamented for a moment, staring back at the pond.

"Wait, what?" The demon sounds shocked for a moment. "You mean that jumped-up jerk? I did the world a favor getting rid of him!"

Mabel's gaze ripped back to the demon, staring at him in shock.

"Favor? He's dead! The police think he got attacked by a wild animal!"

He glared at her and Mabel thought for a moment that if he was in his triangle form he would be bright red. In a flash his hand snakes out and he grabbed her chin, making her stare into his eyes. She flinched at the touch, and tried to pull away, but he held her in a bruising grip.

"He drugged you! He took you through the woods and was going to rape you! If I hadn't been there, he would have! You didn't even notice when he did it at the stupid party that you threw for Pine Tree!"

He leaned in much too close for comfort, and Mabel attempted to pull away.

"Let go of me."

She couldn't think of anything else to say, and she placed her hand over his own, trying to pry off his fingers. Her mind is scrambling to last night, but was still fuzzy, she can't remember much. Bill stares at her for a moment longer, before letting go of her face. He leaned back and she rubbed her chin, trying to regain feeling there.

"How….How much do you remember from that night Shooting Star?" His voice is quiet.

Mabel didn't look at him, staring at the pond where the frogs sleep.

They were silent for a little while, and Mabel wondered if she should leave. She doesn't want to wander the woods at night, and being by Bill's side is safer than whatever creatures are in the woods. He wanted her alive, and wouldn't hurt her too much.

"I can show you what happened. If you want." The demon rushed the words out.

Mabel glanced at him, away from the sleeping frogs. He seems nervous, when Mabel didn't answer him right away.

"I mean you don't have to….It's just a suggestion."

He shifted the longer she stared at him, obviously uncomfortable. Eventually she nodded.

"Show me." Even the warped memory of a demon would be better than no memory at all.

Bill stared at her a little surprised, but then he nodded. He reached out, touching her forehead with a gloved finger, and she fell into darkness.

* * *

 

Mabel blinked, and she stands outside the diner, looking inside at herself on the date. She can't hear what they're saying, but Nick is rambling about something and she stared at herself through the window.

The street light flickered, and the other Mabel looks scared, and she remembers that this is the moment when she thought she saw Bill. She glanced around, easily spotting the demon now, leaning on the street lamp that just flickered out of existence. She walked over to him, wondering if anyone can see her. She stands next to Bill, slipping her arms through his jacket which still rested on her shoulder.

Memory Bill suddenly left her side, and she watched him place himself in front of the window, and laughing as he watched her panic. She frowned, wondering why he took her back this far in the memory. She remembered all these things.

She watched herself on a date, and started to space out, just as she did the first time it happened. She barely notices as Nick picked up her drink, seeming so natural about it too, and places a white powder in it, mixing it before placing it back.

Mabel watched, completely taken back, as she drank the now tainted drink. Mabel took deep breaths to calm down, eventually watching herself leave the diner. She followed behind dream Bill who struts behind them, whistling a tune she felt like she has heard before. Mabel hums along with it, and Bill glanced behind him, right at her.

"Wait, let me guess. You don't remember any of this don't you Star?" He teased, waiting for her to catch up.

She fell into step besides him, watching herself up ahead, stumbling on the side walk as the drugs kick in. She shook her head at Dream Bill, trying to ignore him. They walk together, not talking but the silence between them is comfortable.

"How about we take a shortcut through the woods?" She heard Nick suggest.

Mabel watched herself nod along eagerly, stumbling a bit more. Nick placed an arm around her waist, and she found it amazing that she didn't remember any of this.

Bill growls next to her, and she took a step away at the sound, until she looked at him. He wasn't staring at her, but at Nick, a harsh look in his eye. Together, they followed the dream version of her and Nick into the woods. Even in his anger, Bill lifts branches and helps her over roots.

For a second, they pause outside of a clearing, her and Dream Bill. They watch together as Nick looked around for a moment, before looking at the dream version of her, which looked ready to collapse. Mabel saw his eyes in the moonlight and recognized the look in them, a look she has seen in countless times before. She had seen that look on Gideon's face, the look of lust and hunger.

Bill can't seem to take it anymore either, and struts into the clearing like he had been taking a nightly stroll. Nick tries to speak, opening his mouth to say something, but Bill swung his cane in the air, and hit Nick in the throat.

Mabel winced as the dream version of her crashed to the ground, holding her head.

Nick clutched his throat and tried to gasp for air, but Bill hums and slams the cane down again on Nick's back, then as the man bent down, smacked him across the face again. Mabel didn't even flinch as she hears something crack in Nick's face.

Bill whistled, and growls come from the woods. Nick screamed as wolves appear from the trees, black monstrous, things which drool and foam at the mouth. Mabel watched as he ran away, the blackened hounds chasing after him into the woods. Bill observed them disappear, a smirk on his face.

He bent down and scooped the dream version of herself up, and Mabel watches how carefully he does it.

"Bill?" The dream version of her sounds so tired, like she could fall asleep any second.

Bill begins walking, and she followed after them.

"Go to sleep Star." Bill responds. Mabel almost tripped over a branch to keep up with them.

"My head feels strange."

The dream Mabel is getting harder to understand.

"I know Star. Go to sleep." Bill bends for a second, and Mabel barely saw his lips brush her forehead.

"Don't leave…"

Mabel glanced down at herself, before looking at Bill. He seemed just as surprised as she was by her words, but then he smiled. It looked so natural, and Mabel realized she'd never seen him really smile. It changed his entire face, and her heart fluttered a little in her chest at the sight.

"I won't. Go to sleep."

His voice was soft, and Mabel watched the dream version of her fall asleep in his arms. Mabel glanced up at him, and the demon looked up at her.

He stared for a moment, before giving her a smile, the same smile that he had when she asked him not to leave, and the entire world goes dark around her.

* * *

 

Mabel bolted up in bed, gasping for air like she was underwater. She looked around, expecting to see her brother there, or Stan, but no one is. Mabel panted for a moment glancing around like she expected someone to jump out of the shadows. Nothing happened though.

She laid back on the bed, wondering if it really happened. Did she really see Bill? She reached up, but her arm is weighed down more than her normal pajamas. She glanced down, seeing the blazer still wrapped around her.

Mabel didn't scream, but is shocked. After a moment, she sighed, and rolled over, bringing the sleeves up to her nose to inhale the scent that still lingered in the fibres.


	12. Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to BirdintheCage, and TheFallingWhovian for your comments!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Mabel put Bill's blazer in the closet with the sweater she'd knit him, so that she can give it to him when he came to visit her again. Mabel moved to the roof and spentds the morning there, looking out over the woods and thinking over what she learned from her time with Bill last night.

Dipper didn't ask her how she got home in the dark, or anything more about her date with Nick. He stared at her though when he thought she wasn't looking, trying to figure out what she was hiding. Even though Dipper cannot see the ring, Mabel finds herself hiding it from him.

Bill doesn't appear for over a week, and then a week turns into a month. Soon enough, August rolled around and Mabel and Dipper get ready to get back to their school year in Piedmont. Their parents call and tell them how happy they are that Dipper is doing better, and that they can't wait to see them. Dipper still doesn't remember being obsessed over the journal, and Mabel made sure to tell her parent's not to talk about that time.

Her sweater and scarf for Bill stay in the closet, she doesn't pack them in her bag. They can wait for her return, since she won't be seeing Bill outside of Gravity Falls. She never has, and she doubts he wants to see her now. It has been two months since he last visited her.

On the last night she was to spend in the small Oregon town Mabel can't sleep next to her brother's snoring. She climbed out onto the roof, looking over the town with twinkling lights and stars that shine brighter than they ever did in Piedmont. Mabel sits in one of the lawn chairs Wendy brought up years ago, rusty with age, and lays back to stare at the stars. The hot summer air cooled down as more time passed, and Mabel is happy for the solace the cool airs brings.

She sits alone for two hours before he appears in the seat next to her, only the second time she has seen him in the real world. He looked over at her and she stared back just as hard, wondering why he chose to appear to her now. The demon seemed to notice her thoughts, breaking their staring match first.

"You're leaving in the morning." He doesn't say it as a question, but as a fact. Mabel nodded, turning away from him and looking back at the bright stars.

"I am." She finally spoke when the demon didn't say anything else. "Where have you been?" She tried to pretend she hasn't missed him, like he hasn't become a part of her life in just a short time. He doesn't glance at her, his eye watched the lights of the town.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me. Seemed pretty angry the last time I saw ya." He left the statement hanging in the air. Mabel glanced away from him.

"I still don't remember that night." Referencing her date with Nick. He doesn't even blink at her statement.

"Figured." He doesn't apologize for his rough treatment of her, and Mabel doesn't want to say anything more on the subject. For a moment she looked around, before sitting up in her chair.

"Hang on. Don't go anywhere." She climbed back into the attic, tiptoed past her sleeping brother, and into the closet. She snatched up the scarf, sweater, and blazer, all for Bill. Item's in hand, she climbed back out the window.

He still sat there, looking at the town. Bill looked like he was meant to be sitting there his whole life, meant to be on the roof. She coughed in her hand, making the demon turn his attention from the town to her. The demon gives her the same smile he did in the memory, and her heart fluttered the same way it did then.

"Um, I told you I was making you a sweater." She doesn't point out that she lied about the color, because it still is a shade of yellow. Bill holds it for a moment, looking absolutely delighted, before he tugged it over his head and looking at the eye stitched on the front. Mabel has never felt so nervous of someone evaluating her work before, but she relaxed as he pulled it on.

Mabel glanced away, a blush on her face at how nervous she was. She wrapped the matching scarf she made for him around his neck, feeling her fingers brush the warm skin, and placed his blazer in his lap. It probably needs to be washed, but Mabel figured he had been away from it for long enough. She placed herself on the chair once more, forcing herself to stare at the sky and ignore the gaze of the demon she now felt on her.

A sudden snap of his fingers and there is a box in her lap, a silver box wrapped in a black lace ribbon. Mabel peeled off the ribbon, wrapping her hair in it, because why waste a gorgeous ribbon by tossing it away? She peeled the top off the box, knowing that Bill stared at her from his place.

Laid inside the tissue was a shooting star, bright and shining, nestled and glimmering like the demon had taken it out of the sky itself. She gasped at the sight of it, overcome with the beauty of it. She reached into the box, taking it out, and feeling the warmth in her hand. Box forgotten, she gently picked it up out of the box, afraid it would shatter if she held it too tight. The silver pendant hung on a golden chain, each complimenting each other.

She fumbled with the small clasp, hands shaking just a little. She was trying to think of a word of thank you, because a knitted sweater didn't seem near as amazing as the gorgeous piece of jewelry in her hand. Then his gloved fingers are covering hers, taking the necklace out of her fingers and brushing the hair that wasn't placed in the ribbon away from her neck.

His fingers lingered for a moment longer than necessary, and Mabel wasn't surprised that she leaned into the touch. His fingers, even gloved, were still warm. She sighed at the loss of contact, watching him move away like he had never been close to her.

She took a couple deep breaths, working up some kind of courage, reminding herself that if Bill wasn't going to bridge the gap, then she would have to. She rose, not looking at the demon as she did so, already feeling his gaze on her at the sudden movement. In two steps she was in front of him, and in the next second, she bent, giving him a tight hug in thanks.

"Thank you. I love it."

She pulled away, looking at the now bright red blush on his features. She hadn't given him time to hug back, instead she sat on the edge of his chair, simply looking at him. Moving his legs, she sat in his lap, resting her head on his chest and staring at the stars, one of which she was convinced hung around her throat.

"Please, Bill. I know this is strange. You want a wife though, not a stranger. Give me a moment to get to know you before you disappear again."

The demon doesn't say anything. She worried for a moment that this was the wrong move, and considered getting up. Mabel felt embarrassment rise in her gut, and moved to rise from her place in the demon's lap.

Then his arms wound around her waist, and his chin rested on the crown of her head. Mabel relaxed, breathing a bit easier. He still smelled like spices and something dark that she couldn't identify and wasn't sure if she ever would be able to.

She watches the stars and falls asleep in his arms, only waking up when he puts her back in her bed, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

* * *

The shrill ring of the phone wakes Mabel up five minutes before the alarm is meant to. She reaches over blindly, trying to answer the phone before Stan wakes up and yells at whoever had the misfortune to call this early. Eventually her hand lands on the corded phone, grabbing it and cutting it off mid-ring.

"H-Hello?" She mumbled, brushing hair out of her eyes.

"Oh, Mabel, thank goodness we caught you before you left! It's mommy, sweetheart, how are you doing?" Her mother's voice sounds frantic over the phone.

"I just woke up. What's going on?" She mumbled, lying on her back and staring at the many mold spots on the ceiling.

"Sweetheart, your dad and I were talking, and we decided it's better for you and Dipper to go and spend the rest of the year up there in Gravity Falls. It's just too much of a risk to have him come down here and have him fall apart again at the seams. You understand don't you?"

Mabel glances over at her still sleeping twin. She really didn't understand, but she knew more about why Dipper was so much better than they ever would.

"Yeah, I understand mom." She told her mother anyways, laying her head back down on the pillow.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Tell Stan that we'll refund his money for the bus tickets. We'll come up and visit you in a couple weeks!"

She hung up without saying goodbye, and Mabel laid there for a moment before getting out of bed, knowing she was going to have to tell Dipper and Stan the news. Mabel gently reached up, taking hold of her new pendant. She really hoped Bill had nothing to do with her parent's sudden decision.


	13. Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I have had a lot of personal problems as of late, and that is why this chapter is late. Thank you to everyone for your encouraging messages.
> 
> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being my Beta-Reader!
> 
> Thank you to BirdintheCage, ALittleShootingStar and SouthernKittyGal for your comments!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

The roar of the waterfall had become his life. In his time of living in the cave, of waiting every day and hearing the constant beat of the water over the rocks, Gideon felt he'd learned a lot about himself.

He'd listened to the rush of the falls and his own heartbeat. He'd eaten the food that Bill gave him, and wrapped his ankle again and again. Eventually the swelling went down, but the pain remained. Gideon stayed in the cave, watching the waterfall as his only entertainment, only his thoughts for company.

In time, he found he could walk on his leg without causing problems, and it didn't hurt anymore. He bathed in the waterfall, his prison jumpsuit ragged and worn. He washed what was left of his jumpsuit, before putting the soaking rags on once more. They felt much better against his cold skin.

Gideon began to hike, walking towards Gravity Falls, seeing the town in the distance. The town nestled in the crater of the valley, surrounded by trees and nature. Gideon smiled at the sight of the town he once ruled. Soon enough he would be back in town, the sheep who passed for townsfolk eating out of the palm of his hand again.

He walked past the town line, and read welcoming sign.  _'Welcome to Gravity Falls!'_  It screamed at him, and he laughed, suddenly happy. He had never been happier before! This was amazing! Gideon was finally back at home, where he belonged, where he ruled.

The people of the town nodded to him as he walked through the streets. It was like he never left. Some even stopped to greet him as he strolled. Gideon barely walked with a limp, though the occasional twinge of pain made his gait lop. Eventually he came upon his house, hearing his father laughing and his mother laughing as well.

He knocked firmly on the door, knuckles hitting the rough wood hard. He waited, patiently, of course, because he had all the time in the world for his father to answer the door. Though, he secretly hoped it would be his mother. She had always been easier to control.

The door swung open, and Gideon had never seen someone's smile drop as fast as the smile did on his father's face. Gideon smiled brightly, with what he was certain made him look like a maniac, shoving his way inside the room and giving his mother the same smile he gave his father. They both stared at him in shock, unable to do a thing.

"Ah, it's great to be home. Isn't it mother?" The woman nodded frantically, her eyes now on the floor. He smirked, turning back to his father.

"I missed y'all so much. What are we having for dinner?" He asked, already heading upstairs, not waiting to hear their replies about dinner. "And if I hear any police sirens. I'm going to make the both of you regret it."

Gideon slammed the door to his old bedroom, storming inside and making sure to slam the door closed as well. Furniture was strewn about hazardly from where Gideon had last thrown it, and it was obvious that after having to give up the Mystery Shack his parents simply threw his things inside. His bed was tossed in the corner, and he turned it right side up, setting his few possessions on it. Prison clothes were scattered on the floor, a shell he found on the shore of the lake, a shiny stone that caught his eye when he first could walk through the cave.

The candle was placed on the edge of his old vanity, which had a crack splitting it down the middle. Gideon stared at his broken in half reflection, eyes sunken and cheek bones jutting out. Dark circles layer underneath his eyes, and he looked like a shadow of his former self. Experimentally, he poked at his cheek, and felt only skin there and no cushioning fat like there always was. His broken reflection did as he did, poking at the hollowed out cheeks.

Gideon laughed, clutching at his face and laughing a booming laugh that echoed through the room. He could hear it echoing in the air, echoing in his mind, clearing out some of the silence that leaving the roar of the falls left behind when he left it.

A sharp movement, and the mirror shattered under the sharp punch of his fist. It cracked into another million pieces, and Gideon stared at the thousand reflections of his haggard face staring at him.

"Looks like seven more years of bad luck for me!" He screeched, laughing once more. The sound echoed through the dark bedroom. Silence still reigned over his parents downstairs, the parents of the escaped convict too frightened to do anything other than cower in his rule.

Gideon, the once highly esteemed child psychic fell to his knees, laughing so hard he was crying. He clutched his sides, feeling his ribs stick out as he laughed. Gideon didn't care though, and laughed harder. Soon he would be back in full strength, and the town would cower under his tyranny once more.

* * *

Mabel opened her eyes to the grey of the Mindscape. She rubbed her eyes as she rose out of her bed, necklace wrapped in her hair, and pajamas ruffled. Bill was sitting on the foot of her bed with the biggest grin she has ever seen. Mabel fell back onto the bed with a groan, throwing the blanket over her head.

"I'm too tired to deal with you right now." She grumbled, trying to ignore the demon. He laughed at her antics.

"Come on, Star, rise and shine! It's another gorgeous night at Gravity Falls!" He sounded way too excited for her to ignore, and Mabel peaked out from under the blankets.

"Too bad we can't see it." She told him. Slowly though, she was waking up, and Mabel groaned again when she felt him tug on the blanket covering her.

"Star, come on get up or I'm taking the blanket." He tugs harder, and Mabel sighs before she threw the blanket off. The demon stares down at her happily.

"Alright, what do you want?" Mabel ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get rid of some of the tangles that rested there. Bill grinned down at her for a moment longer before he flicked his wrist and made a brush appear in his hands. He handed it to her, moving and sitting next to her on the bed.

"What, I can't visit my fiancé?" Mabel didn't even cringe at the word, simply took it as fact now. She took the brush from him, beginning to comb out her hair.

"You're just happy that I'm not leaving, aren't you?" Mabel cringed as she encountered a particularly tight knot in her hair. She tore the brush through the tangle, until the strands there flowed easily through it.

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you feeling well?" Bill made fluttering motions with his hands, and Mabel couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"You're telling me outright, that you had nothing to do with that?" She stared at him, seeing right through his over acting.

Bill ran a hand through his hair, looking at the other side of the room. "Well, I'm not saying that…"

Mabel leveled him with a flat stare, still brushing through her long hair. The demon seemed to get more and more nervous by the second as she stared at him.

"Bill, I swear if you hurt my parents…" She left the threat hanging. He looked at her in surprise for a moment.

"No! I didn't do anything like that!" He shouted, looking completely confused. "I might have just sent a couple nightmare their way about you guys coming back and things going wrong…"

Mabel sighed, getting out the last of the tangles in her hair. She knew they would still be there when she would wake, but it felt good to brush them out now.

"I can't believe you." She really did believe it, actually it didn't even come as a shock to her. Bill stared at her for a moment before laughing a little.

"Really? You don't believe that me, the all-powerful dream demon, could do something like that?" Bill summoned his cane, twirling it around on his fingertips.

"No. I guess I just thought better."

Bill clenched his jaw and turned away, laying back on her bed with his head in his hands. Mabel realized that he wasn't going to talk anymore, and let out another sigh. From beneath her bed she pulled out her knitting supplies.

This sweater was important, her first custom order from someone online. They simply stated they wanted a kitten knitted into the sides of it. Mabel decided to do a skyline, with kittens walking along the edge of it.

She glanced over at Bill, whose breathing was even and steady. Half the sweater was done, and she placed it aside for later. Experimentally, she reached out, poking his cheek. He didn't even move a little bit. Mabel grinned, poking him again harder, not even getting a bit of movement out of him.

She jumped out of the bed, grabbing a kit lodged deep underneath her bed. It had so many layers of dust covering it, but as she brushed off the lid and opened it, the contents inside were still the same as she had left them all those years ago.

With a malicious grin she turned to Bill, revenge on her mind.

* * *

 

Mabel brushed off the last of her work, admiring Bill. His hair was covered in glitter, face done up with makeup and colorful doodles decorated his cheeks and forehead. Mainly triangles and happy faces. She laughed a little to herself and settled back among the pillows, wondering if she should wake him up or wait for him to.

She didn't have to make any decision though as the demon woke himself up, blinking sleepily at the ceiling. Mabel looked over at him, trying her best not to laugh as Bill got his bearings back in the world.

"I didn't know dream demons needed to sleep." She voiced, looking at her knitting. Her yard was labeled with what color they were, so she hoped she hadn't used the wrong color by accident.

"Every once in a while they do. I used to be human, so I know." He reached up, running a hand through his blonde locks, and came away with a glove full of pink glitter.

Bill stared down at it in complete confusion. Then, he looked up at her. Mabel couldn't help but burst out in laughter. He glared at her.

"Goddamn it, Shooting Star what did you do?" He looked over, a scowl on his face. Mabel just couldn't stop laughing.

He waved his hand and a mirror was in his palm, and he stared at his reflection. His brows knitted together, and he ran his hand over his hair again, shaking more glitter out. He ran a gloved finger over the gel pen markings, smearing some of the marks that hadn't dried yet.

Bill turned to Mabel, who's giggled were finally dying out as she wiped tears from her face. His face softened a little bit, secretly enjoying her laughter even if it was at his expense. "What did you do?" He asked, examining his new makeup. A rag appeared in his hand, ready to wipe off the makeup and drawings

Mabel shrugged, wiping away the last of the tears. "Don't mess with my mom and dad." She simply stated, staring at him dead on.

Bill smirked a little. So Star had a little fire? He could play. "You know what, I like it." He grinned at her. "I think I'll keep it." The rag disappeared in a fit of bright blue flames. Mabel stared at him like he was crazy.

"Seriously?" She asked. Mabel had expected him to take it off as soon as he could. He moved over on the bed, making her lean back until he hovered over her, face dangerously close.

"Seriously."

Then he shook his head like a dog and got glitter everywhere. Mabel laughed, pushing him away and wiping the mounds of glitter from her face. He laughed as well, falling back as they both dissolved into laughter.


	14. You're Pathetic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I have had a lot of personal problems as of late, and that is why this chapter is late. Thank you to everyone for your encouraging messages.
> 
> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being my Beta-Reader!
> 
> Thank you to fairandfoul and LittleOwl for your comments!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Mabel still found glitter in her sheets days after Bill had left. The living room only held her and her brother at the moment, and as Mabel shook her head more glitter came out and fell into her cereal. Mabel continued to eat it anyways, figuring that she had eaten enough glitter in her lifetime so far that a bit more wouldn’t hurt. She tried to pay attention to the television, but Gravity Falls’ television had never been that great.

Mabel stared at the screen, not really paying attention, as the old reruns of ‘Tiger-Fist’ ended, and the commercials came on. Who even needed an owl trowel? Mabel sighed, waiting for the next commercial to come on and knowing that it was going to be something stupid.

“Who can make all your dreams come true? I can! Come on down to the Tent of Telepathy, welcoming back its star, Lil’ Gideon!” A picture of the worn out tent showed on the screen, before cutting to an image of the older Gideon. He no longer had his baby blue suit, instead a faded purple shirt, grinning wildly at the camera.

Her spoon hit the side of the bowl with a clang, and she watched Gideon wave excitedly at the camera, his grin broken and eyes sunken. She wondered briefly what happened to the hair he took so much pride in, as it was cut short, in a military fashion. He looked like he had been through hell and back, and it broke him along the way.

“Ya’ll come on down and visit now!” His voice had changed, still had the accent, but it was deeper now. His voice was no longer had the high pitch of childhood.

Mabel watched as another commercial came on, another stupid product that no one would ever need. She pushed her cereal aside, no longer hungry, wrapping her arms around herself. Dipper reached over, patting her back, offering what little comfort he could. Mabel leaned into the touch.

“What if he comes here?”

Mabel really hoped he wouldn’t. His eyes held the crazy look of someone who had nothing to lose, and crazy people were worse to deal with than lovestruck boys. Lovestruck boys didn’t want to hurt the girl they were after, crazy people didn’t care who they hurt. Dipper rubbed her back a little more, shaking his head.

“He won’t be that stupid to come and bother us again.”

She put her bowl in the sink, trying hard not to think about what would happen if Gideon came down to visit. A shudder ran down her spine at the thought, and Mabel tromped upstairs, briefly hearing Dipper explain to Stan why she was upset. At least they would always be on her side.

The ladder to the roof was easy to climb, and Mabel climbed it, sitting on the roof with her legs dangling over the edge. The birds sung happily, unaware of her internal plight. Mabel tried to reassure herself, telling herself that Dipper was right, Gideon would be stupid to come out here and try to win her back.

Mabel brought one knee up, wrapping her arm around it and resting her forehead against it. She breathed deeply, repeating to herself again and again that Gideon would never come back, he would be stupid to.

“Hi, Star!”

Mabel jumped, teetering over the edge of the roof, one hand reaching out to grasp something, anything to prevent her from falling.  Bill’s gloved hand reached out, grabbing her own and keeping her in place, safely away from falling over the edge. Mabel stared at him for a moment, before he pulled her back to a safer place on the roof.

“You really shouldn’t sit so close to the edge.” He teased, not letting go of her hand. Mabel laughed a little.

“I’d be fine but someone scared me.” She teased back, going back and sitting on the edge, tugging his hand so he sat next to her. Bill did so without protest.

“What are you doing up here?” He asked. This had never been her spot, it was Dipper’s for when he wanted to think. Her spot was in the woods, in the same place where the frogs croaked and don’t care about her problems.

“Gideon got out of prison.” She told him outright, not able to think of a good excuse to why she sat on the roof.

Bill stared at her, either not caring or not understanding why this upset her. Mabel swung her legs, wondering how to explain.

“He terrorized me for months, years, with letters and calls. Now he’s back, and everyone is going to forgive him like he never did anything wrong. I just… I just know it won’t be long before he comes here, trying to get me to go out with him, or worse.” She took a deep breath.

“Now he’s back. I’m just worried.” Mabel squeezed his hand, staring ahead at the trees surrounding the Shack. “It’s stupid, right?”

Bill shrugged. “Yeah, pretty stupid.” Mabel winced a little, looking away from the trees and at Bill, a little hurt.

“Stupid, because Gideon would be stupid to come near you. If he does, I’ll light him on fire.” He was completely serious, but Mabel still couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“Thanks, I guess.” She said after her laughter had died.

“Gideon’s never been a smart one. Tell ya what, if Gideon comes by here, take this.” Bill took the hand he was holding and pressed an obsidian stone into it. “Turn this stone three times and I’ll come running okay?”

Mabel held the black stone up to the light, watching the polished edges of the stone catch the rays of the sun and sparkle.

“Thank you.” She slipped the stone in her pocket. “What if I just want to see you though?”

Bill stared at her, surprised for a moment, before laughing a little. “Just say my name.” The fingers of his free hand drummed, tapping to the same beat they always tapped to. Mabel laughed a little as well.

“Have you ever heard of the Moonlight Haven?” Mabel looked up at Bill, wondering where the sudden question was coming from.

“Dipper used to search for it. It’s supposed to be where the fairies live right?”

She had given up on thinking she would find it when Dipper stopped looking for it. Though, she always wanted to see where the fairies lived, the only one she had ever seen was the one that Soos accidentally killed when she first came to Gravity Falls.

“I…. might know where it’s located. If you want to see it, that is.”

He sounded so awkward, and Mabel glanced over at him, already smiling brightly at the thought of seeing the fairies that lived in Gravity Falls.

“Really? You can take me there?” She was already bouncing in her seat, looking at him with excitement in her eyes. Bill chuckled a little bit.

“I can. Would you like to go?”

Mabel nodded, already imagining what it would be like.

“I’ll pick you up at seven then, my dear. It’s a date.” He rose from his spot, brushing off dust from his suit.

“A date?” Mabel squeaked out, looking up at him in surprise. Bill laughed at her expression.

“It’s about time I took my fiancé out for a date, isn’t it? Plus, the Moonlight Haven is much better at night anyways.”

Mabel blushed, looking up at Bill, not moving. “Seven it is then.”

Bill bowed with a flourish, cane appearing with a twirl of his fingers. Mabel laughed at the theatrics, before he snapped his fingers and disappeared with a flash of blue fire. She twirled and twisted the ring on her finger, already wondering what she should wear for her date tonight. All her thoughts of Gideon having disappeared.

* * *

 

Bill frowned as he walked through the Mindscape, watching the clocks that never moved. It was easy for him to glance into the real world now though, so he never lost track of time. The streets echoed his footsteps, the only sound besides the rhythmic ticking of his clock. He didn’t know what annoyed him more, the tapping of his shoes, or the ticking of the clock.

The demon sighed, twirling his cane and burning down a building, knowing that in the real world it stood there still, unaffected. It was nice to see his bright blue flames burn it to ashes, for with another flick of his wrist the building stood again, like it was never burned.

 _‘You’re too nice to her. She’s a toy, nothing more.’_ The whispered conscious’ voice traveled through his head, bringing icy shivers with it. It had been a while since he heard it last, he wondered where it had been briefly before he decided he didn’t care. The longer it was away the better.

“She’s not a toy.” He voiced to the empty air. “If I wanted a toy, I would have told her I wanted a toy.”

_‘What kind of demon wants a human for a wife? You’re pathetic.’_

Bill growled, setting another building on fire. It didn’t help his frustrations. He closed his eyes, holding still and listening to the ticking of the clock. _Tick, tick, tick, tick, ti-_

_‘DO NOT IGNORE ME! I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!’_

Bill winced at the scream, clutching his head as he felt pain rip through it. It hadn’t screamed at him like this for a while now. Bill grit his teeth, powering through the pain like he always did. Pain, he could deal with. Pain he was used to.

“Pain? Is that the worst you can do?”

The pain stopped in his mind, and he breathed a little easier. He slowly sat up, amazed that the pain was over so easily.

_‘You’re right, pain isn’t the worst I can do. I can hurt someone much more important to you instead.’_

Bill froze at the words, fear gripping his heart as for a moment, there was only silence in the Mindscape. Then the ticking started again, and Bill cowered at the sound of it, wondering what the voice meant. Who was important to him? No one was. Except one person.

“Mabel.” He breathed out, absolute panic crossing his features before he let out a cry, snapping his fingers and going back to the real world.

 


	15. Tock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all need to thank SouthernKittyGal for coming up with the concept of Will! I just added to her amazing idea.
> 
> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being my Beta-Reader!
> 
> Thank you to LittleOwl for your comments!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Mabel no longer remembered the lyrics to the lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was little. She remembered the tune though, and hummed it to herself as she looked down at her bed, with sweaters and dresses and pants all lay out before her. Mabel stood before her selection of clothes in a tank top and panties, trying to decide if she wanted to wear her usual sweater and skirt combination or just go for a nice summer dress while the weather was still nice.

She sighed once more, finally decided on a navy blue sundress with rhinestones embedded in it, making the dress look like the night sky. Mabel took off her tank top, slipping it over her head, tying the strap behind her back to keep it in place.

The window to her room flew open, and Mabel shuddered at the sudden chilling breeze that swept across her, chilling her to the bone. Mabel stumbled to the window, tugging it closed and shaking from the sudden cold, looking outside. There seemed to be no heat left in the room, and she swore she could see her breathe floating from her lips as she breathed.

“Oh, Shooting Star!” A sudden voice sang from right behind her. Mabel turned on her heel, the bottom on the dress swishing around her knees.

“Bill! You scared me.” She scolded, looking at the demon. He stood tall, a smirk on his face, all teeth and no lips. She took a step back.

“Not exactly, ah, your ‘Bill’ is a bit indisposed right now, and you and I have something important to talk about. You can call me Will.” He stepped forward, keeping the same distance between them.

She could feel the chill from him even as he stood a few feet from her. She shivered, goosebumps rising over her flesh.

“What do you want then, Will?” She straightened her back, refusing to show how her heart was racing. He laughed at her, his hand shot out like a snake, grabbing her chin in a bruising grip.

“I see what he likes about you. A pretty face, a bit of spark. You would be just so much fun to break.” He tutted at her, fingers tightening on her face, other hand reaching around her waist, cold hand grabbing her lower back. His grip was icy, like a frozen block, and she shivered, chills travelling up her spine at his touch.

“Just what I am going to do with you Shooting Star? You’re just such a pleasant distraction, I’d love to get a chance to see you on our wedding night. Tell me, will it be a white wedding?” His hand on her back pinched the fabric, hiking up her dress. Her hands felt numb, but she reached up anyways pushing as hard as she could at him.

“G-Get off me.” Her voice sounded weak, and her body felt so cold, like she would never be warm again. The hem of her dress was reaching the top of her thighs.

“Is that any way to talk to the demon who fixed your brother? Who saved you from an ogre? Who saved you from that guy who was going to rape you?” He tutted at her again. “Such an ungrateful human…”

He moved a bit closer, making her take a stumbling step back until she was pressed against the wall. Will moved himself between her legs, despite her voiced protests. Her teeth were chattering, her whole body practically shaking from the chill he put off.

“You have no idea what you’re getting into, and let me tell you, seeing you like this is almost delectable. How can I resist?”

He took his hand away from her chin, and Mabel can breathe a bit easier when it’s gone. Yet he twirled his fingers like his cane should be there, and a large knife appeared in his fingers, the blade gleaming in the light. Mabel watched it with fear in her eyes. He smirked down at her.

“I bet your blood tastes amazing.” His hand finally moved from her back, the hem of her dress staying where he left it because of how his hips pressed against hers. Mabel couldn’t take deep breathes without her chest brushing against his. He grabbed her left hand bringing it up to his face, pressing his nose against her wrist.

“No, p-please, don’t-.”

He twisted his knife around on his fingers, dragging the knife into the tender inside of her wrist, smiling as her blood began to flow down her wrist, dripping onto the carpet at her elbow. He dragged the knife around, making her gasp in pain as he began cutting her.

“Will! S-Stop, please!”

He ignored her, complete focus on the cuts on her wrist. Finally, he made another swift cut, and the knife disappeared into the thin air. He squeezed her wrist, drawing more blood. His other hand came up, wiping some of the blood up with a gloved finger, bringing it to his lips.

“Just what I thought. You taste so innocent.” He smirked, and Mabel couldn’t help but cower. “You’re mine to break Shooting Star. Mine.”

He laughed, leaning down and licking her new wound, tasting her blood. She tried to pull away, but couldn’t move, there was nowhere to go. He laughed at her struggles, watching her try to get away.

“When Bill comes to pick you up for your date. Be sure to show him your new mark. I just did what that idiot should have done that from the beginning. You are ours and no one is going to be able to take you away from us now.”

He laughed again, stepping away and watching her fall to the floor and clutch her wrist. With a snap of his fingers he was gone, his laughter echoing in the room. Mabel felt the heat beginning to return to the room, almost burning her skin. She hadn’t realized how cold Will was until she had a chance to be warm once more. Her shaking started again.

Slowly, she picked herself off the ground, blood still flowing from her new wound. No doubt it would scar just as Will wanted it to, and she would be left with a mark to explain to her family. Mabel hoped it would be like the ring on her finger, and no one would be able to see it, but after meeting Will, she didn’t have high hopes for that.

“Mabel!”

She twisted, flinching, looking behind her at Bill, who seemed panicked. He strode towards her, hands touching her arms, looking her up and down, worried gaze piercing her. She placed her injured wrist behind her, hoping he wouldn’t see it. He sniffed at the air though, frowning.

“I smell blood. What’s wrong? Are you hurt? What happened?” Mabel was still shaking, wanting to go to the bathroom and patch herself up and get away from everything right now. Bill was nice and his touch was gentle, but there was a demon part of him in there that she was just reminded of.  

“I’m fine.” Her voice cracked. Bill tightened his grip on her shoulders, making her shy away from him. The demon instantly backed away upon noticing her reaction. She still has goosebumps on her arms from the cold, which seems to seep into her muscles and cling there. She lets out another shudder, Bill takes another step away from her.

“Mabel. Are you bleeding?” His voice is calm and deadly. Mabel nods before she can think about it. Bill still doesn’t move towards her.

“Can I help you?” He reached out a hand for her to take, and she stared at it. He doesn’t make a move to come closer to her, looking at her like she was an injured, frightened animal. Which she supposed she was, right in that moment.

Mabel took her injured hand out, before she thinking about it too much that she was following Will’s orders, and showed it to Bill. She flinched when she heard his gasp, and almost pulled away as he stepped forward.

Her hand and wrist are covered with blood, Mabel can’t make out where the original wounds are at. Bill’s touch on her arm is warmth and softness, not the same frigid and callous one of Will. He leads her into the bathroom where he washes the blood off her hand and wrist, finally letting her look at the new carving on her skin. Mabel swallows bile at the sight.

Carved into her arm with jagged lines and blood still dripping from it is a triangle, with a crude circle in the middle that looks like it was meant to be an eye. Mabel stared as a drop of her blood formed and fell from it, going down her arm, like the eye in the triangle was weeping with her.

Bill’s face was stone as he applied pressure to the cut, trying to stop her from losing more blood. Mabel watched and didn’t flinch as he poured antiseptic on it, even though it stung. She observed him get cotton and gauze, wrapping her wound up tightly. Blood quickly stained the pristine white.

The demon ran a hand through his hair. “Mabel…” She stared up at him, not knowing what he was going to say but still dreading it. She didn’t want apologies, or anything. She wanted to go to bed and sleep, and when she woke up to burn the dress Will touched her in. The dress she was still wearing.

“Let’s get you to bed.” He eventually said, scooping her in his arms. Mabel gasped, but then relaxed, the chill from Will still set in her bones. Bill was so warm, she pressed herself against him, never wanting him to let go.

“Tell me what happened?” He prompted, as he placed her on the bed. She stared at him for a moment, finally opening her mouth to speak since he arrived.

“He called himself Will.” The wall was much easier for her to talk to, so she stared at that instead of Bill. “Told me it would be fun to break me. Asked if it would be a white wedding.” She glanced at her wrist. “He said no one can take me away from you now, because he did what you should have done from the beginning. He marked me.”

Bill is silent, and Mabel still shook, and she picked at her bandages on her wrist. There is a dark stain of blood on the carpet where she bled, and Mabel stared at it, wondering if she could get the blood out before Dipper noticed. Suddenly, the demon rose, going to the end of the bed, tugging at the blanket and placing it over her, tucking her in.

“I’m sorry Mabel. Get some sleep okay?” He reached out, holding her hand. She glanced down at their hands joined together, pulling away.

“I don’t want to sleep.” She noted. Bill sighed, leaning forward and placed a kiss to her forehead, ignoring how she flinches away from him.

Her eyes grew heavy, and Bill leaned back, hands making sure that she was tucked in and comfortable before she closed her eyes. Suddenly, sleep felt like the best idea, and she laid back upon the pillows, closing her eyes and listening to him move.

“You need sleep Star. I’ll be here when you wake, but I have something to take care of first.”

She couldn’t voice her protests as she fell into the inky black of sleep.

* * *

 

Bill stared down at Mabel, who finally looked somewhat peaceful as she slept. The bandage on her wrist was already stained with crimson, and Bill growled at the sight, anger swelling within him at the sight. He couldn’t do anything for it other than get rid of some of the pain, and Mabel didn’t even seem to notice when he tried to do that.

The demon didn’t want to leave her side, but eventually snapped his fingers, appearing in the Mindscape. Nothing was there, he wondered how to go about this.

“You hurt Mabel.” He said to the empty air, waiting for a second. Nothing happened.

A hollow chuckle sounded from behind the demon. Bill spun, staring at a ghostly apparition of himself. He growled, reaching forward but feeling his hands pass right through the image of himself. Will laughed again at him.

 _“Poor little demon. You look almost as pathetic as the day I found you. Tell me, do you even remember that day anymore? Do you remember spilling the blood of your family, of your dear brothers and sisters?_ ” Will let out a laugh, and Bill clenched his fists, feeling blood drip from in between his fingers.

“Don’t talk about them! You have no right to talk about them! I was barely ten and you tricked me! You have no right to bear the name of my brother!”

Will’s smile faded from delight, to a deadly scowl at Bill’s words. Bill felt his chest heaving, ready to go and fight to the death with his demon side, completely done with his demon side.

 _“I didn’t trick you into anything Bill. I made you an offer and told you what I wanted and you delivered. You just didn’t read the fine print.”_ Will relaxed against the open air, leaning on nothing.

Bill was swimming in memories of the past, his mistakes. He remembered walking and meeting the demon for the first time, who promised the world and immortality, if only Bill went into the doorway he offered and slaughtered everyone there.

He had no idea what came over the younger version of him. He took the deal, walking through the door and slaughtering every single living thing that rested on the other side of the door. He couldn’t see anything on the other side, but after he killed everyone and the light came back on, he was faced with the bloody and torn images of his family, his brothers, his sisters, his mother and father.

“Leave Mabel alone.” He growled, changing the subject. His mind burned with images of the past. He knew the apparition was just trying to distract him.

 _“You didn’t like her new mark? Pity, it was lovely to taste her blood. Who knew a human could taste so sweet?”_ Will laughed at him, moving his fingers in a fluttering motion over his lips, remembering the way she tasted.

“That’s not how you mark! I’ve seen it before, it’s a bite on the neck, one that scars and let’s other demon’s know that you have claim. My ring was fine for her, you just did that to be an asshole. You just wanted to go and hurt her to hurt me.”

 _“Ding ding ding!”_ Will screeched, bending over laughing. _“You needed a reminder. She’s_ human _. She’s breakable. She’s a toy, nothing more. If you keep forgetting that, I’ll have a lot of fun with her. Do you think her blood will still taste sweet if I take her virginity?”_ Will smirked coldly at him, hands behind his head and a cruel light in his eyes.

“You wouldn’t.” Bill breathed out, but it sounded weak, already knowing the answer from Will.

 _“Would you care to test that Bill? Or would you like to let me out and see?”_ Will smirked, going and looking at Bill with a gleam in his eye.

Bill almost caved in on himself, losing his confidence. “No… No I’m fine.” He eventually said, looking away from Will.

_“Good boy. No more playing human. You’re a demon, go and act like one. I won’t hesitate to remind her and you who’s in charge here.”_

Will reached out, threading his ghostly fingers through Bill’s hair and leaving icy tendrils going down his whole body. Bill shuddered under the touch, pulling away after a second. “Leave Mabel alone though, please?” It came out as a whine.

 _“Since I’ve carved our symbol on her I won’t do anything if you want to see our fiancé._ ” Will paused for a moment, before tightly gripping Bill’s hair. _“Don’t ever ignore me again, though.”_

Bill nodded frantically, and Will disappeared, leaving only in his wake chills and a laugh echoing in his ears. Bill took deep breathes, trying to hear past the laughter, at the sound that was always his background noise.

_Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tock, tick, tick, tick, tick…_

He jumped, hearing the sudden ‘tock’ among the ticks. He glanced around, trying to spot what was different, but nothing changed. With a sigh, the demon snapped his fingers, and appeared beside Mabel again, checking over her with ease.

The demon moved, checking her blood soaked bandages. Mabel would stay asleep for a couple more hours, so he unwrapped the gauze, taking away her blood soaked bandage and replacing it with a clean one. Then he wrapped it all over again, pressing a kiss over her wrist.

“I’m so, so sorry Mabel.” He held her uninjured hand, pressing her cold fingers against his cheek, and waited for her to wake up.

 

 


	16. Good Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being my Beta-Reader!
> 
> Thank you to LittleOwl and pope_hope_123456 for your comments!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Just as suddenly that sleep had gripped Mabel, it let her go. She opened her eyes to the moonlight coming through her window instead of daylight, and a very worried demon gripping her uninjured hand like a lifeline. Mabel looked at him carefully, and tugged her hand away. Bill watched her, worry furrowed his brows, and didn't say anything.

Her wrist burned as she moved her other hand, and Mabel glanced at it, seeing the dark stains of blood on her bandage. Slowly, she turned away from the white bandage, edging a bit further towards the wall and away from Bill. The demon sighed when he noticed.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mabel." She didn't say anything to his promise, reaching over and picking at her bandage, wanting to look at her wound.

Bill's hand was quick, making her flinch as he placed his hand over the hand picking at the bandage. He held it lightly but firmly, letting her have no doubt she couldn't pull away from him unless he wanted to let her go. The demon pulled her hand away, placing it on the bed, tugging at her injured arm for her to raise it. Mabel doesn't protest, too afraid of what would happen if she disobeyed.

With light touches, Bill unwound the gauze, letting her glimpse at the red cotton bandages. He finally pulled away the last of the gauze, and peeled off the cotton. It stuck to her cuts, where it had healed around it. Blood leaked out of some areas, the whole area red and swollen. Some parts looked infected, the scabs that formed red and raised in harsh ugly lines.

"I can't do much besides taking away some of the pain. Please, hold still." His voice is strong and commanding, not giving any room for argument as he reached for her arm and held it tightly.

Mabel had never heard the word please pass through his lips. She did as he asked though, and held still as he passed a hand over her wound, some of the redness fading and a bit of the burning disappearing. He let go of her wrist, reached under the bed and pulled out of the first aid kit.

"I'm going to put some hydrogen peroxide on it, it's going to sting." Bill's voice is still commanding and strong, radiating everything she isn't feeling. He sounds confident, like he knows what he is doing. She wondered if it was an act to make her trust him confidence.

Mabel didn't move her hand as he got a rag and poured some of the liquid on it, and dabbed at her cut. She hissed at the sting, trying to pull away, but his free hand held her own, holding her in place.

"I know it hurts, I'm sorry." His voice is softer this time, almost coming out as a coo as he continued to dab at her cuts, only stopping when the area was thoroughly cleaned.

The bandages were once more placed upon the injury, and Mabel relaxed among the pillows, staring at Bill with half lidded eyes. He lowered himself to the edge of the bed, placing his hands where she can see them. Mabel felt like it would be useless to tell him to get away.

"Mabel… If I had known what he was going to do, I never would have let him near you." He began to speak. "Will… He did that to be cruel. Demons mark their significant others, you see. It's never like that though. It's a bite on the neck that scars and tells other demons to back off. Will just wanted to hurt you."

She looked away from him, at his hand. Then she glanced at her own hand, and the ring that sat on her finger. He is still talking, voice getting rougher with every word and thick with emotion and regrets.

"I didn't think you would like that, though. So I gave you a ring with the stone shaped like me. Then… I didn't think you would want to get to know me. I didn't plan on you making me a sweater or wanting to actually go on a date with me, or anything really. It was a game, I wanted a toy, because other demons had one, and I wanted to see how far I could push you until you broke."

He looked away from her, at the ground. Mabel still looked at her ring, cringing every time his voice broke. It grew thick with unshed tears, Mabel couldn't bear to listen to it anymore. She didn't tell him to stop though.

"Yet then you started talking to me, and you were so nice to me. No one had been nice to me in so long. When that guy came along, and hurt you, I hurt him back. Now, I want to hurt myself for hurting you. I'm so sorry, Mabel. I don't expect you to forgive me, but please, please, don't be scared of me."

Slowly, she reached out, and took the hand of his that rested near hers. His gaze snapped to her, but she didn't look at him, her own gaze still trained on her ring.

"It's not you, I'm scared of." She finally spoke, voice cracking over the words. Bill's stare softened, and he squeezed her hand, nodding.

"I promise I won't ever let him hurt you again. No matter what, I will always do my best to keep him away from you." His voice was beginning to break all over again. Yet as she thought more about it, she wondered how he was going to protect her from himself.

Her throat tightened, and she finally glanced up at Bill. He shifted a bit closer to her, and held her hand with both of his, looking down at her. A tear rolled down her cheek, and he let one of his hands free, reaching up and brushing it away with his thumb. She leaned into his touch, taking the comfort he offered.

Ever so slowly, he leaned down, giving Mabel plenty of time to pull away if she wished. When she didn't, he brushed his lips against hers, pulling away after a moment. Her cheeks were flushed red, and so were his, even at the briefest of touches. His hand still cupped her cheek, and their eyes met before he leaned down again, capturing her lips in an actual kiss.

* * *

The demon disappeared after their kiss, mumbling about things to do and giving her half-hearted excuses. She lied back among the pillows and tried to knit, but her wrist hurt her too much for her to hold the needles. So she simply laid there, staring out the window. Mabel didn't want to go back to sleep, afraid the nightmares might come after her if she drifted off without Bill there to watch over her.

When the morning sun came she rose out of bed with it, shredding off her dress and chucking it into the corner for her to burn later. She no longer felt the cold that Will left on her skin, but she didn't feel warm yet either. Mabel picked up one of her sweaters, and some jeans, threading her fingers through her hair and feeling the grease stuck there. She decided to take a shower after getting some breakfast from downstairs. The sleeves of her sweater crawl up her arms, she has to keep tugging them down to cover her bandage.

Dipper was already there, a mug of coffee in hand and a bowl of cereal in front of him. He smiled at her as she came in, still eating. Mabel tried her best to smile back, grabbing her own bowl and making cereal for herself. She sat down in front of Dipper, trying not to remember the last night too vividly.

"What happened to your arm?" He suddenly asked, reaching out and pointing at her bandage. Mabel glanced down at it like it's the first time she's seen it.

"Hot glue gun incident." She replied. She had burned herself plenty of times using that tool, and probably would do it in the future as well.

"It didn't bleed like that last time. Are you sure you're okay?" He rose from his place, and walked over to her. "Let me see, maybe you need to see a doctor this time."

Dipper reached for her arm, Mabel recoiled like he was a snake, fear in her eyes. She just couldn't handle being touched, and she knew that if Dipper saw what was really under her bandage, she wouldn't be able to explain it. Not without having to explain the whole deal to him. He stared at her in surprise, having never expected his twin not allow him to touch her. Concern wrinkled his features.

"Mabel… You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" He reached out again. Mabel rose from her seat, taking a step away from him and out of his reach.

"I didn't hurt myself." She told him. She held her wrist behind her back, and wondered what she would tell him if he forced her to show it to him. Mabel took a step to the door, wanting out of the questions.

"Did someone hurt you?" Dipper followed her steps. Mabel bit her lip, glancing at the door and thinking frantically for an excuse.

"I told you, I had an incident with the hot glue gun." She repeated.

Dipper frowned at her. "What's been wrong with you? You've been acting so differently lately. You know you can tell me anything." His voice grew soft with hurt by the end of it, Mabel couldn't look at him anymore.

"I know." She replied just as softly, not looking at her twin anymore. "I told you, it was an accident with the hot glue gun."

Dipper reeled back like he was physically hurt by her lie. He clenched his fists, and his jaw tightened as he looked away, unable to stand the sight of her anymore. Mabel takes a couple steps to the door, guilt bubbling inside her.

"I know you're lying. When did you get so good at it though?" Mabel stared at the tiled linoleum of the kitchen floor. "You go on a date with a guy who ends up dead. You don't talk to me like you used to anymore. You have a new necklace too, where did that come from? When was the last time you called Wendy or Pacifica to talk? Or went into town? When was the last time you made Mabel-juice or hung out with Stan?" He's yelling by the end, and Mabel feels tears pricking at her eyes, but she doesn't let them fall.

"Mabel! Answer me! What's going on with you? What are you not telling me?" Mabel flinched at his tone as Dipper screamed at her, taking another step back. She couldn't even look at Dipper as he came forward, reaching over and grabbing her arm, tearing at the bandage on her wrist.

"Dipper, stop!" She screamed, yanking her exposed wrist out of his sight, hoping for a miracle. She turned and ran,

"Mabel! I knew you were lying! Get back here I'm taking you to the hospital." His voice is strained, like he has had all his worries confirmed by her actions. Mabel locked the door to her room, taking deep breathes to keep calm.

"I'm fine, Dipper! Don't worry about me." She shouted through the door. Dipper knocked on the door, trying to open it.

Mabel scrambled to a part of her room, grabbing a pile of clothes and shoving them onto the stain her blood has left on the carpet. Mabel bit her lip, wondering what she could do. Dipper was pounding frantically on the door, voicing his panic as Mabel thought about what to do.

Stan was at the door now as well, his punches to the door working much better than Dippers. Mabel ran to her nightstand, digging through the random items of glitter and pieces of yarn, searching for the obsidian stone until the smooth edges of it touch her fingers. Stan finally broke the door with a crash, and Mabel clutched the stone tightly in her palm, using at as an anchor. Slowly, she turned to stare at the men panting in her doorway.

"There's something I should have told you guys a long time ago." She told them, looking at the two men, taking deep breaths to remain calm.


	17. Facing the Dragons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being my Beta-Reader!
> 
> Thank you to Rational Shin, fairandfoul, and pope_hope_123456 for your comments!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

They stared at her like she was made of glass as she sat at the kitchen table, her stone in hand, and wound exposed to the open air. Dipper paled when he first got a glimpse at her wrist, seeing the image carved there. Stan crossed his arm, and they both remained standing, even as Mabel sat down.

"Didn't it ever strike you strange that Dipper suddenly got better? Without reason, just one day he woke up after we saw that ogre?" She directed the question at Stan. He shrugged.

"Why look a gift horse in the mouth?" His voice is rough. Dipper looked between the two, confused.

"Got better?" He asked, wanting his own explanation. Mabel looked at him, knowing she had to include everything in her explanation.

"You weren't getting better, Dipper. You started reading that journal, and just wouldn't stop. You wouldn't sleep, you wouldn't eat, nothing. Then you started making us all go out on monster hunts that got more and more dangerous. You were wasting away, I had to do something. I couldn't let you die. And you were going to die, I could feel it." Mabel's voice cracked at the end, and she blinked back tears. Stan and Dipper were staring at her, Dipper looked horrified, but Stan looked like he putting the pieces together.

"One day, Dipper fell asleep, and I grabbed his journal, thinking, 'well, if this was the thing that made him insane, maybe there would be something in there that would save him.' There wasn't anything, because I knew that gnomes and Gremoblins wouldn't be able to help." Her voice grew a sarcastic bite before she paused, starting again. "There was one thing though, a summoning spell that I copied down. I promised I would only use it if there was no other choice, if Dipper didn't get better. He didn't though!" She slammed her hand down on the table, and the men in front of her jumped. She took a deep breath to steady her next words.

"Then, this letter from Gideon came. I don't know why I read it, I just did. He was so nice and comforting, I actually considered writing back, or even calling him." She shook her head, remembering reading the letter. "I knew I had to do something. I went to my room, and I summoned Bill. I couldn't let Dipper suffer anymore."

Mabel flinched as Stan punched one of the cupboards, letting out a low growl. "Why? What did you give him, Mabel?" He strode towards her, Mabel had never seen him so angry and looking ready to hurt something.

Dipper had his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. Mabel could almost feel his tears as her own. She looked over at Stan, words pouring out her mouth, voice shaking.

"We're engaged. He wants a wife."

Stan reeled back like she had slapped him, his whole face going pale. Dipper looked up from his hands, staring at her with a mixture of shock and pity.

"I made him promise. He would fix Dipper's mind, and I got two years. Two years of being free before he would make me marry him." The words were directed at Stan, hoping to calm him down before he punched something else.

"I wasn't specific enough, though. Dipper didn't get fixed. He woke up and we went to go and find that ogre, and Bill saved us. That's how we got away, he got rid of the ogre, and fixed Dipper's mind." Mabel bit her lip. Maybe it would be better if they thought they had two years left with her instead of one. She sighed through her nose.

"And he did that all for free?" Stan scoffed, sarcasm lacing the words. Mabel cringed a bit.

"No… He-he made me give up a year. When the summer begins next year, he'll take me away." She confessed in a whisper, unable to look up at Stan or Dipper. Dipper came up with a cry, wrapping his twin in a tight hug. She desperately hugged him back.

"Did Bill kill that guy you went on a date with?" Stan asked, looking down on the hugging twins. Mabel nodded.

"Yeah, he did. But that guy was horrible. He drugged me, he was going to rape me. That's why Bill took me home. I passed out." She told them, voice muffled as her face was pressed into Dipper's collar.

Stan clenched his jaw, whether at the new knowledge or the fact that Bill was the one to save her. "Guess he can't have damaged goods, can he?" He grumbled to himself, and Mabel looked up in surprise.

"Grunkle Stan! He's actually nice." Stan stared down at her, grabbing her arm and shoving the mark on her wrist to her face.

"He did this to you, didn't he?" Stan's voice was cold and angry, his grip bruising. Mabel flinched away from him, looking away from the red cuts. He held her arm in place for a few more seconds, getting the answer he wanted.

"Yeah, a nice demon. That's a new one." He laughed hollowly, finally dropping her arm. Dipper stared at her, finally coughing before saying anything.

"We'll find a way to get you out of this, Mabel, don't worry." He reassured, trying to look confident. Mabel shook her head frantically, a bit of panic rising in her. She twisted the stone in her hand, trying to calm down.

"No!" Her voice broke over the word. "I don't want to break the deal. I'll be fine."

"Mabel! Has he done anything else to you?" Stan leaned down, voice harsh, and she twisted the stone again, unable to keep still.

"He hasn't done anything-"

"Star, are you okay? Did Gideon really show up?" Bill appeared behind them, brows furrowed, twirling his cane in his hand. He paused, looking over the scene, and Mabel dropped the stone like it was made of fire, having realized what she did.

"You!" Stan charged at the demon, bringing his hand back to punch Bill. The demon ducked, smirking and walking over to Mabel.

"Finally told them? About time, I was tired of sneaking around to see you." He smirked down at her, bending quickly and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She blushed, trying to stammer out a reply.

"Damn it, Bill! Leave my great niece alone!" Bill moved again, as Stanford raced forward, throwing another punch. The demon grabbed his wrist, preventing Stan from making any more punches.

"You mean my fiancé? Why would I want to do that?" He let go of Stan's wrist, letting the man fall to the ground.

"What do you want? We can work out another deal." Dipper rushed out, distracting the demon. Stanford rose, rushing out of the kitchen silently. The demon let him, reaching out and taking Mabel's hand, making her rise from her seat. He wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her close even as she voiced her protests and blushed.

"You guys don't have anything I want." Bill replied easily. His hand was on her lower back, and it radiated warmth, so Mabel relaxed a little. This was Bill, she reassured herself, not Will.

"You can't take her! Please, Bill, anything else. Anything else that I can give you." Dipper jumped in this time, reaching out and grabbing Mabel's arm to keep her with him. Bill raised an eyebrow at Dipper.

"You'd think you'd be more appreciative to the girl willing to give up  _everything_  for you, Pine Tree." He reached out, prying off Dipper's hand from Mabel. He looked down at her wrist, seeing her exposed injury.

"Why did you take your bandage off? It could get infected…" He mumbled to her, running his hand over the wound and making a bit of the redness and irritation disappear. Mabel sighed.

"I didn't… Dipper took it off and I haven't had a chance to cover it." She murmured back. Dipper watched them, as though he still expected Bill to kill her.

Stanford finally came back to the room, a shotgun in his hand. He cocked it, pointing it straight at Bill. The demon let out a feral growl, and pulled Mabel so he was in front of her. He took a defensive stance.

"Finally, I have an excuse to use this." Stan muttered, finger on the trigger. He paused though, as he saw Bill place Mabel behind him instead of in front of him.

"Come on, Stanford, you would think I'd harm my fiancé?" He teased, tugging her a bit closer until their hips bumped together. Mabel squeaked at the contact. Stanford growled.

"You did that to her wrist, didn't you?" Dipper cried out. Bill smirked, and grabbed her hand, bringing her wrist to his lips and kissing the carving.

"I just needed to remind her who she belonged to is all." Mabel looked away, at her brother who looked ready to cry.

"Bill, please stop." She reached over for her brother. Bill tutted, pulling her back.

"Ah, ah, ah, Star, it's only the truth. You're mine and that's it. I don't want anything else." He grinned maliciously at the men, before snapping his fingers and making them disappear from the kitchen, appearing on the roof. She heard the shotgun fire from downstairs.

Bill laughed, moving himself away from her and clutching his stomach as he laughed. Mabel pouted, crossing her arms and wincing a little as the fabric of her sweater brushed over her cuts. Bill still laughed, finally sobering up as he looked over at her and saw her frowning down at him.

"Ah, please don't be mad, Star." He voiced, standing up straight.

"You didn't have to do that." She scolded. The demon sighed, waving his hand and making medical supplies appear beside him. He lightly captured her hand again, tugging her to sit beside him.

"I couldn't resist! Did you see the look on their faces?" Bill chuckled to himself, still smiling.

He reached over, holding her wrist steady as he put antiseptic on it, finally rewrapping her cuts. The demon's touch was gentle and caring, brows furrowed as he made sure to wrap everything carefully. Mabel observed him with a small smile on her face.

"I have to deal with that now. They're going to go crazy and lock me away like Rapunzel." She teased, flexing her wrist under the bandage as soon as he let go. Bill smiled.

"That just means I'll have to save you!" Bill announced. Mabel laughed a little.

"What?" He pouted. "I can be the prince for once!"

This time Mabel couldn't help but laugh, rising from her seat.

"Sure, you can be the prince in my story, for now though the princess must face the dragons downstairs before they blow up her castle." Mabel leaned down, pressing a kiss to his cheek before turning on her heel and going downstairs to face the men going crazy looking for her.


	18. Take a Dive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal and Evil Ekat on fanfiction.net for being my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to pope_hope_123456 for your comment!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Gideon paced through the halls of his house. He tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, unused to wearing such nice clothes. He missed his prison jumpsuit. Though, he didn't miss the tiny cell. He didn't miss the rigorous prison guards or the constant battle of dominance between the other prisoners.

He stormed down the stairs, a large bag on hand. His mother had taken up her habit of vacuuming once more, and his father sat at the dining table, completely ignoring his son's return. Gideon paused in the room, looking at his parents for a moment with an unreadable expression, before heaving his bag over his shoulder and heading towards the front door.

"Where you going?" His father's voice had taken on the forced cheerfulness that Gideon remembered.

He had always felt like his father treated him as one of his customers, not a son.

"Out. Going over to win my girl." He easily replied, barely pausing in his walking.

His mother's vacuuming became more frantic.

"Mabel Pines? Rumor is she's on the market. She went on a date with that guy, didn't she Sugar Pie?" Bud aimed the question at his wife, who simply nodded.

Gideon frowned, hoisting the pack over his shoulder once more. "She won't be for long. She's ma' girl." He walked to the door, barely able to hear the frustrated whispers of his parents.

"Why did you tell him that? That poor girl is in for a world of hurt now." His mother was muttering.

Gideon could practically hear his father shrug.

"I thought it might get him to leave her alone! It's been years now, why hadn't he let her go by now?" Bud replied, voice a little rougher with frustration.

Gideon walked out the door, snatching his father's car keys of the table as he went. The car was a newer model, one that started with a button instead of having to turn a key. Gideon threw his stuff into the backseat, pulling out of the driveway and away from his house without a second thought. The Mystery Shack was due for a visit.

* * *

Mabel cursed to herself as she dropped another stitch, her wrist twinging with pain as she tried to knit. She placed the knitting to the side, sighing and rubbing at her wound through the cotton. It had finally stopped bleeding, but she kept the cotton and gauze to keep it clean. She kept the window open, and now she looked out it, seeing the birds fly and the hearing the sounds of nature coming through her window.

Music began to play from somewhere outside, and Mabel rose. She looked down at the woods outside, trying to figure out where the song could be playing from. Maybe Soos was playing another one of his playlists out there for Dipper to hear. Soos had been so attached to the younger man since he came back from the brink of insanity.

_'Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you.'_

Mabel glanced around, finally finding the source of the music. Gideon stood on the lawn of the Mystery Shack, boom box over his head as the song played. Mabel stared shocked for a moment before anger welled up inside her.

_'Oh can't you see? You belong with me…'_

Mabel retreated inside for a moment, searching through her belongings. She finally found what she was looking for, a large book. She went to the window once more, seeing that Gideon had moved closer to her window, and within throwing distance.

"I never liked you!" Mabel screamed, chucking the book at his head. It didn't hit his head, but it knocked the boom box out of his hands. The outdated object hit the ground, stopping its music. She closed the window with a flourish, ignoring his shouts of protest.

Where was that stone Bill gave her? The last place she had it was down in the kitchen, when she broke the news to Stan and Dipper. She couldn't remember if she took it back or not, or if it was still lying there on the kitchen floor. Mabel gave a sigh, moving to open the door of her bedroom. The sound of glass breaking behind her caught her attention. Mabel paused with her hand on the handle of the door.

"Sugar plum, you don't have to worry so much! I can take care of your family. We can finally be together."

Gideon crawled through the glass, Mabel scrambled through the door. She could hear him landing heavily on the floor as she crashed through the hall to get away from Gideon.

"Dipper! Grunkle Stan!" She screamed, looking frantically for the guys. They were nowhere to be seen. Gideon bumped into a table, knocking the furniture out of place.

"Peach dumpling, why are you calling for them?" He was right behind her, the tips of his fingers brushing her sweater as she raced down the stairs.

"Damn it, Gideon, I never liked you!" Mabel screamed, turning her head for a second to see how close he was to her. She tripped down the last of the steps, falling hard to her knees. Gideon was there in a second, pulling her to her feet.

"You don't have to lie anymore! We can be together now!" His arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her close to him. Mabel clawed at his arm, drawing blood with her nails.

"I'm not lying! Let go of me!"

He twisted her so she was facing him, and Mabel reeled back as he slapped her.

He let her go, and Mabel fell hard to the ground, hand coming up and clutching her cheek. She could taste blood in her mouth. Gideon sighed.

"Look what you made me do to ya'."

He bent down, grabbing her arm and hoisting her to her feet. Mabel struggled, and Gideon sighed once more.

"I don't like you! Why are you so obsessed with me?" Gideon was holding her injured wrist tightly, and Mabel hissed in pain. He smiled at her when he noticed, squeezing her wrist more.

"You're mine. As simple as that." He began to walk, dragging her behind him as he went. Mabel still struggled.

"I'm not yours! I'm engaged!" She screeched, heels digging into the hardwood floor and nails ripping at Gideon's hand at her wrist. She could feel the cuts reopening under his rough treatment. Gideon stopped walking, whipping around to stare harshly at her.

"I can take care of that. Why are you fighting me so much?" He sounded so confused. Mabel glared at him.

"Leave me alone I want nothing to do with you!" She screamed. Gideon's face went dark, anger marring his features.

"Who are you engaged to? I'll kill him." Gideon growled. Mabel tried to take a step back, but he kept her in place, hand still gripping her wrist.

She pursed her lips, not wanting to say who. She shouldn't have to tell him. He shouldn't even be here. Mabel tugged at her wrist, trying to get him to let her go. She let out a gasp as he tightened his grip instead.

"Tell me!" He screamed, raising his arm to strike her again. Mabel covered her face with her free arm, already expecting the blow.

"Bill Cipher!" She yelled back, eyes squeezing shut. She heard the rustle of fabric and prepared herself for the blow. After a moment, it didn't come. Mabel opened her eyes.

"You called?" A familiar voice sounded behind Mabel.

Bill was there, reaching with his arm and blocking the blow from reaching her face. His hand on her waist. Mabel shuddered as she felt the cold seep through his glove and through her skin, settling into her skin. Gideon glared at the demon over her shoulder, tightening his grip on her wrist. Mabel looked between the two males, suddenly feeling small under the amount of hate they were sending each other.

"What are you doing to my Shooting Star, Gideon?" Will's voice is hard and cold like the ice in his grip. Mabel leaned away from the two of them, wanting to get away before they decided to kill each other and she was caught in the middle.

"She's mine, she always has been." Gideon replied. Will sighed, reaching over and prying Gideon's hand off Mabel's wrist, glancing at the blood appearing through the cotton.

"She's my fiancé." Will answered, moving Mabel away from them. Gideon reached for her again, but Will stopped him. Mabel reached out, clutching tightly to Will's coat, ignoring the chill that seeped into her fingers. Gideon growled as she did so.

"I did not get you to get me out of prison not to have her! I will rule this town and she will be by my side!" Gideon snarled, not even seeming to notice just who he was talking to.

Will stared down at him, then glanced back at Mabel with a smirk on his face. With a wave of his hand, they were outside, standing at the top of Gravity Fall's waterfall, hanging on the edge. Mabel teetered for a moment, feeling like she left her stomach back at the Mystery Shack, and Will steadied her easily.

"I think it's time I cashed in those two favors you owe me, Lil' Gideon." Will teased, still keeping his hold on Mabel. He pushed her in front of him, making it so she couldn't hide.

She didn't protest, but her heart raced with what she was about to see. Gideon sneered, glancing at Will with his lip curled.

"What do you want?"

He edged back from the cliff edge. Will hummed, making a knife appear in his fingers. He handed it to Gideon.

"Stab yourself." He stated, ignoring Mabel's gasp of horror.

Gideon looked at Will like he was insane- not much of a stretch really- but still he reached out of the knife, already twisting it so the point aimed at his stomach. Even if he didn't want to, he was bound by the deal he made.

"No, Will, please don't."

Gideon paused at her words, and Will turned to look down at her, anger in his eyes. She refused to back down, knowing that anger wasn't directed at her, but at Gideon.

"He hurt you. He touched what's mine. He is going to die. Now watch." Will's hard tone left no room for argument.

Mabel flinched, but didn't turn to look back at Will. She stared at Gideon, too scared to look away and find out what would happen if she did look away. Gideon let out a hollow laugh, the point of the knife digging into his stomach and making red bloom.

"See? Even after all these years, she still wants me."

He plunged the blade into his stomach, cutting off the rest of his words. Will grinned, staring down at the bloody boy moaning in pain. Gideon dropped to his knees, as blood seeped between his fingers and dipped onto the stone edge of the cliff. Mabel's eyes were wide in panic, before they snapped closed, turning away. Will tutted, grabbing her chin.

"Watch, Shooting Star. This is what happens when you let other people touch you." He whispered in her ear. "You still owe me a favour, kid. Why don't cha' cash it in now and walk off that cliff?"

Will twirled his fingers and the knife still embedded in Gideon's stomach disappeared. The self-proclaimed psychic took a shaky step towards the cliff edge, eyes wide and pleading. His hand was over his stomach, trying to keep his blood inside him. Mabel watched, the blood bright red against his pale white skin.

"Mabel, Peach Dumpling, you gotta' do something! I don't want to die!"

Mabel cringed as she heard his words, almost turning after a second. Yet Will's gloved fingers gripped her cheeks, and forced her to turn back and watch. She wished Bill was there, Bill she could convince, could do something to save Gideon. With Will though, she knew anything she said wouldn't have an effect on the cold hearted demon.

"Mabel, please!" Gideon cried out louder, the toes of his shoes hanging over the edge of the cliff. Mabel felt her throat tighten, stomach twisting at the pleas. She shook her head, trying to convey how sorry she was for this. Even as horrible Gideon was, he didn't deserve to die like this, no one did.

His eyes met hers, bright blue eyes pleading for his life. Her own hazel eyes filled with tears of her own. All she could do was let out a choked sob and a muttered apology.

"Please..." He murmured, voice almost lost by the wind. Will frowned, seeming upset this was taking so long.

"That's enough out of you. Jump." Will commanded.

An ear splitting scream pierced the woods, and Mabel swallowed thickly, hands shaking. She blinked back tears, trying to calm her racing heart. Gideon plunged over the edge of the falls, his scream echoing through the woods. Will laughed at the scream, eyes lighting up in delight as he looked over the edge and tried to see the body.

Will didn't move for a moment, before he turned her around, holding Mabel's shoulders and bringing them back to the Mystery Shack. She couldn't look at him, even as he tilted her chin up to see the mark on her face, and blood still trickled out of her mouth.

"Go clean yourself up." He let her go. "And remember, Shooting Star, no one is allowed to touch you except me."

Mabel nodded shakily, turning away and hearing Will disappear with a snap of his fingers. She let out a breath of air, and went into the bathroom, looking at the blood on her face and the bandage on her wrist soaked with blood. She cleaned herself up, curled up into bed and wondered if the police were going to pay her a visit once more.


	19. Mystery Twin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANKyou to SouthernKittyGal and Evil Ekat on fanfiction.net for being my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Thank you to pope_hope_123456 for YOUR comment!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

From the Mindscape, Bill watched Mabel clean her face off, and rewrap her bandages from where Gideon made her cuts reopen. He watched her get into bed, finally returning to his world, focusing more on the ticking of the clock. Ever since the one 'tock' among the ticks, he had been paying more attention to it, but he hadn't heard the sound since.

"You didn't have to make her watch you kill Gideon." Bill eventually spoke to the air, knowing that Will would show up. The apparition laughed as he appeared, simply showing up in the Mindscape.

 _"I didn't have to, I wanted to."_  Will answered, linking his fingers behind his head and observing Bill.  _"You're too soft. He hit what was ours, I took care of it. Now she'll be too scared to ever leave us."_

Bill frowned. "I don't want her to be scared of me. I want her to like me." Will stared at him like he was crazy.

 _"Boo-hoo! This is much better than what you were doing before. Though, I wish I could get a kiss sometime. I suppose it will have to happen after the wedding though."_  He sighed as if he couldn't wait any longer. Bill growled at him.

"Leave her alone! I am so sick of you!" Bill snarled, reaching as he was about to strangle his apparition. Will laughed, moving away and floating above Bill.

 _"You're stuck with me, little Billy. Nothing is ever going to break our little deal."_  Will laughed harder, reaching down and poking Bill's forehead.

"Don't call me that. And maybe I want to break our deal!" He screamed. Will paused, leveling a harsh glare at Bill.

 _"You want to give up immortality? All for some human brat? You wouldn't dare. I won't let you. Want to test it? I'll take Shooting Star out of the picture. You won't have fun living as a mortal without her."_  Will threatened. Bill shuddered as he felt the icy hands of Will reach down, tracing across the back of his neck. The apparition was still hovering a couple feet off the ground, above him.

Bill was silent to the threat. Will grinned in his silent victory, tracing his fingers across his cheeks and neck, making him shake with the cold.

 _"Good boy. You're mine, just like how Shooting Star is mine now. If you ever want to change that, just remember, it won't be you paying the price, it'll be her."_  Will leaned forward, pressing a kiss to each of Bill's cheeks, ignoring the way the other man recoiled from his touch.

The apparition disappeared with a laugh, leaving Bill to rub at his skin where Will had touched him. He glared up at the sky, marching over to a tree and punching it viciously, skin scraping and flying along with the bark. He could still hear Will's laughter echoing through his head, taunting him.

"I hate you! I don't want this anymore!"

Will's laughter grew louder, more mocking. Bill clutched his hands, watching inky black blood leak out of his skin, a reminder he was no longer human. A thousand years had passed, and he never wanted to be human again more than he had, in that moment. He screamed again, filled with pain and anguish and everything he was feeling.

_Tick, tick, tick, tick, tock, tick, tick, tick, tick, tock, tick, tick, tick…_

* * *

Mabel woke to the sounds of knocking on her door, getting barely a moment before Dipper was walking in, with more questions about the deal she made with Bill, trying to find a loophole. She looked to the side, trying to hide her swollen cheek from him. It wasn't long though as Dipper noticed she wasn't talking.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sitting on the bed. Mabel brought her knees to her chest, almost curling into a ball as she let out a muffled 'fine'.

"Come on, Mystery Twin. What's wrong?" Dipper's voice was soothing, as he reached over, poking at her calf. Mabel flinched, pulling herself away as Will's words that no one else could touch her ringing through her head. After a second she paused, getting angry at herself. She was her own person, why was should she listen to him?

With a solemn promise to herself to no longer be afraid, Mabel looked up at her twin, watching as his face went from concern to anger in less than a second. His fingers brushed across her swollen cheek, making her twitch from the pain. Dipper scowled.

"We need to get some ice on it." He eventually muttered, pulling Mabel out of bed. She could almost hear his thoughts as she followed behind him.

"Bill didn't do this."

Dipper scoffed, heading into the kitchen and grabbing a pack of frozen peas from the freezer and holding it against her face. Mabel hissed, but after a moment held the peas closely to her face, peering at her brother.

"Dipper. He didn't do this, it was Gideon." Mabel repeated, looking at Dipper. His eyes met hers, brows furrowed.

"Gideon? He came here?" Mabel nodded to his question, reaching out and holding his hand.

"He stood out on the lawn and tried to 'serenade' me. Then he broke through the window, and attacked me. Bill saved me." She explained. She wondered if she should tell Dipper the rest, how Bill seemed almost split down the middle in personality, with Will being his bad side.

Dipper squeezed her hand, bringing her back to the real world. "Mabel, what're you holding back? You know you can tell me anything."

Mabel fought back the lump in her throat at his words, looking over at him. He looked so hurt that she wasn't telling him everything, that Mabel was trying to go through all this alone.

"Bill…. He's nice. I know you don't believe me about that, but he is. He has this, this demon side to him though, called Will. It's like he's two people in one. Will's the one who did this." She gestured to her wrist. "Will's the one who says I can't let anyone touch me, and calls me his. Will's the one who killed Gideon." She explained, clamping a hand over her mouth as the words she didn't mean to say came pouring out.

Dipper stared at her with wide eyes, as he shot up from his seat, chair flying to the ground from the sudden, jarring action. Mabel jumped, watching him as he raked his hands through his hair, looking ready to scream.

"How do you know that Mabel?" He eventually asked, staring down at her. Mabel looked away.

"Gideon broke in, he was trying to take me away. I didn't know where you and Stan were. Gideon was screaming, and he hit me, demanding to know who I was engaged to. He was going to hit me again, and I told him. Then Bill came, except it wasn't him, it was Will. It was like his evil half. Will took us to the top of the waterfall, and….and he made Gideon stab himself and walk off the edge of the waterfall. He made me watch." She eventually confessed, looking up at Dipper.

Dipper wrapped his twin in a hug, holding her tightly, as she shook. Mabel held him back just as tightly.

"Mabel, I'm sorry. You don't have to go through this alone. I promise, I'll always be here." Dipper murmured in her ear. Mabel shakily nodded.

"What are you going to do when the year is over, and Bill takes me away?" She asked, and waited for Dipper's answer. He didn't have one.

* * *

Bill appeared in Mabel's room, panting and tired, not wanting to be alone for once but having nowhere else to go. She jumped as he appeared, her cheek bruised and swollen from Gideon's attack. For a moment they stared at each other, neither making a move.

"Mabel." Bill breathed out, voice cracking from how much he yelled. She reached out for him, bringing him to sit on the bed where he laid back. Mabel had never seen the dream demon looking so exhausted before. She had no idea he could even be exhausted.

She tutted at him, reaching over for her medical supplies and started bandaging his hands. His blood was black and inky, it made Mabel want to cringe away from something so unnatural and obviously wrong. She didn't though, making sure to wipe away all the blood, picking out splinters in his fingers and wonder what happened to him.

"Gideon did that to you, didn't he?" The demon lying on her bed eventually asked, as she picked a particularly long sliver of wood from his knuckle.

"Yeah, he wanted to know who I was engaged to, when I told him about it." She searched his hands again, and decided she had found all the splinters that were in his skin. Slowly, she began to wrap his hands.

"What happened to you, Bill?" Her wrist was starting to hurt a bit from the actions she was doing, but she ignored it easily. It had stopped bleeding since Gideon abused it, and she was grateful for that.

"I got mad and punched a tree." He mumbled, not looking at her. Mabel stared at him for a moment before she laughed.

"You punched a tree?" She asked between giggles, seeing a small smile play across his face. "Who punches a tree?"

"Hey, I was mad and it was there! Figured it would be better than punching a building." He was laughing now as well. Mabel glanced down at the bandages beginning to show the inky spots of his blood.

"Why were you mad?" She asked him, simply curious. She laid down on the bed beside him, rubbing at her sore cheek. Bill hesitated for a moment, before answering.

"I was mad at Gideon, for hitting you. I was mad at Will, for killing him and making you watch. I was mad at myself for not being able to do a thing to stop it." Bill muttered, no longer looking at her. Mabel looked at her ceiling, absorbing his words.

"I'm not going to say it's okay. It's not okay." Mabel mumbled. "You couldn't do anything about it though, so it's not your fault."

Bill clenched his jaw, wanting so much to tell her he's already doing so much, trying to protect her and keep his sanity at the same time. The demon felt like he was being pulled in two separate directions, one leading to her, and the other to what he had known for the past millennia. Bill didn't know what he was going to pick.

He said nothing. He reached over with one of his bandaged hands to hold hers, and clutched it tightly. Mabel said nothing more as they laid together on the bed and listened through her broken window to the sounds of nature outside.


	20. Opening Pandora's Box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal and Evil Ekat on fanfiction.net for being my Beta-Readers!
> 
>  
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

A young boy walked through the dirt paths of his village, death and destruction around him. The warriors had come through, spilling blood at every moment they could, claiming the victory of the small tribe. Said boy cowered as another warrior came through on horseback, swinging his sword and yelling out a harsh battle cry.

Tears left streaks upon his face, leaving clear paths through the ash and dirt on his face, revealing sun-kissed skin underneath. He could barely breathe without coughing, and every intake of breath hurt his lungs. Another sound of a home caving in, and the warriors finally left his tribe, leaving the young boy all alone. He searched for his home.

"Mama!" He cried as he reached the burning building that was on fire. The flames licked easily at the scavenged hut of the place, and he watched the roof cave in. Bill fell to his knees, crying harder as he watched the only home he knew collapse in on itself.

"Mama, please, the bad men went away. I hid like you said, can you stop hiding now?" He sobbed out, looking at the ground. Tears fell from his eyes and dropped into the grass.

"Bill!" Someone cried from behind him, and Bill turned, seeing his older brother Will coming at him. The young man scooped the smaller boy in his arms, comforting his cries.

"Will, where's mama? I want her." Bill cried harder, then coughed as smoke went into his lungs. Will patted his back, saying soothing things.

"I don't know. We're going to live with our Aunt okay? Maybe mom will find us there." Will shifted Bill so he could carry him while walking, still trying to soothe him.

"What about dad? What about Cassandra?" Bill lifted his head, looking at Will, who pursed his lips, not wanting to answer.

"I'm sure they'll find us there too…" He offered. Bill nodded, because family never left family. They would find them there at his aunt's house, and their family would be together again.

He was only six after all, much too young to understand everything he had seen.

* * *

It took them a week to walk to Aunt Ethel's house. She welcomed them with open arms, upon seeing their torn and stained clothes. Bill attached himself to the hip with her, and Aunt Ethel, never having children of her own, showered him with as much love and affection that she could. Will began to work in the fields, letting their uncle teach them how to read and write as they came to their home.

"Hello, Bill, I'm your Uncle Jakoby. You can call me dad if you want though."

Bill looked at Will, who simply pursed his lips and said nothing. Aunt Ethel chirped in and voiced he could call her mom as well. Bill stared at them like they were crazy. Didn't they understand his mom and dad and sister were going to come home? They were taking a long time, but Will explained they could just be lost.

He didn't want to say that, though. They had welcomed them into their home, when they really didn't have to. So Bill swallowed the words, and smiled at his aunt and uncle.

"Okay, mom and dad."

They smiled brightly, and Bill pretended not to notice the look on Will's face that stated he just betrayed him.

* * *

Bill found it easy to refer to his uncle and aunt as mother and father. They cherished him and Will worked hard to bring in money, so the makeshift family was good. Still, Bill waited eagerly for his true mother and father to return home, with his baby sister in hand so they could all be together again.

They found out on a bright summer day that Aunt Ethel was pregnant, as her stomach had grown and the midwife confirmed the news. Will was delighted at the news, and helped build an extra room on their small home for the newest sibling, and for the first time since it happened, Bill forgot to go out and wait for his parents to come home.

It had been two years since that fateful night, when Aunt Ethel had her baby boy. She named him Azariah, and the small baby was wrapped in warmth and love, with two big brothers and two parents. The child was never left alone.

It was another two years, when Azariah was two and Will went off to start a job in the village, that Bill found a book in a store. The shopkeeper wouldn't sell it to him, so Bill relented, and didn't buy it. Though, the curiosity burned at him and made him return to the shop day after day, always looking at the book. Finally, the shopkeeper gave in and sold the book to Bill.

He ran home, delighted, shouting to his mother and father that he would be in his room. The book is old and ancient, the cover cracking as he opened it. The pages stick together in what looks like blood, and Bill slowly begins to read the words aloud, wondering what the book was about.

'My lord and my God, I revoke you. I summon thee instead, a being of darkness, grant my wish. Make me live forevermore.'

Bill stopped, bile forming in his throat at the words, before looking around frantically to see is his mother or father heard him. Nothing stirred though, and Bill closed the book, determined to return it to the seller tomorrow. He should have listened to the man when he didn't want to sell it to him.

"Bill! Come out for dinner!" His mother called from the main room, making Bill jump.

"Coming, Mom!" He yelled back, shoving the book under his bed, shivering at the memory of what he just read.

He ran from the room, shutting the door as the mysterious, dark figure rose from under his bed, settling on the floor and waiting for the one who summoned him to return.

* * *

Bill walked into his room, eyes heavy with sleep. He didn't have a candle in his room, so he stumbled in the dark until he found his bed, collapsing on it. Suddenly though, a light filled his room, and a voice whispered out.

'You summoned me, Master?' The voice sounded like death and ice, making Bill shiver as he sat up in bed, looking at the figure made of darkness itself. It slunk around on the floor, until it came up even with Bill's face, icy breath freezing his skin.

"I-I didn't summon you! Who are you?" Bill asked, cowering away. The figure retreated.

_'You are not the one who read from the book?'_  It asked, tilting the makeshift head it had. It was like talking to the shadows, it had no features.

"Well… It was me but I didn't want to summon you!" Bill whisper-shouted, trying to make sure he didn't bring his family in running. The creature looked at him, but Bill had no idea it was really looking at him.

_'You do not wish to live forever?'_  The monster asked, tilting its head. Bill paused.

"That would be nice…" He admitted. Then he wouldn't have to worry about not being around when his parents came back, he would always be there, waiting.

_'It's simple.'_  The creature handed him a sharp sword, seemingly pulled from thin air.  _'Take this and go through the door.'_  A doorway made of shadows and ice appeared. Bill took the sword.  _'Kill everything you come across. After you do that, you will be immortal.'_

Bill looked at the doorway with a shiver, glancing away for a moment to look at the creature, and then at the sword in his hand. It was too heavy and big for his small, ten year old frame.

"That's it? And then I can live forever?" Bill asked again, confirming. The creature gave what he assumed to be a nod.

_'That's all, young one. What is your choice?'_

Bill took a deep breath, before walking through the chilling doorway. Everything was darkness on the other side, with cold and chilling. He couldn't hear anything as he came through the other side, just figures moving and attacking him. They lunged at him, going for his throat as he slashed at them, mowing down everything he saw.

Blood sprayed everywhere, even if it was dull and hard to make out. The last form flew at him, smaller than the others, and he swiped at it, arm hurting from using the oversized sword. The blurred figure fell to the ground, and he could just barely make out the blood pooling around the figure.

A slow clapping reached his ears, and Bill turned, seeing the only clear thing in the room. The creature clapped at him, slowly striding forward over the fallen forms. Bill started, dropping his sword on the ground and breathing heavily.

"I did it. Can I live forever now?" He asked, and the world snapped to focus around him. He didn't look down at the figures he killed yet.

_'You will live forever by my side, you have proven yourself worthy. We will rule the world, side by side, chosen one.'_

The creature gestured around it, and Bill finally looked at everything he caused. The torn figures of his mother and father, of Will and Azariah, who lied dead at his feet. Bill cried out in shock, bare feet slipping over their blood. He looked at the creature, who seemed to be laughing at him.

"What did you do?" Bill cried, tears forming in his eyes. The creature hissed, looking at Bill, stance relaxed as he came forward to Bill. He made no marks over the blood, no footprints.

_'I did nothing. You did this.'_  The creature reached for Bill. He stumbled back, almost hitting the wall.

"No! I didn't want this!" More tears fell, and Bill wanted to scream. His family, everything, gone.

_'You did, and now we'll live together. Forever.'_

The creature reached out with a blackened, misshapen hand, touching Bill's shoulder. He shuddered as he felt ice seep into his skin, chilling his soul. He let out an ear piercing shriek, feeling nothing more as the dark creature embraced him.

"Bill! Bill, wake up! It's just a nightmare." Bill Cipher opened his eyes, staring up at the brown haired girl hovering over him.

He pushed her away, whole body shaking in the wake of his memories. Mabel was watching him with concern, not knowing what he had just gone through.

"It's okay. You're safe now. Whatever it was, it's over now." Mabel almost cooed, reaching for him. Bill let her, her warm touch almost burning his cold skin. He shook more, reaching forward, burying his face in her neck, his arms around her waist. Mabel stiffened for a moment, not expecting it, before she wrapped her arms around him, rubbing her hands down his back.

He didn't cry, simply shook. Mabel whispered sweet nothings in his ear until he stopped shivering, and grabbed her blanket to throw over them. He stopped trembling after a while, simply laying there, listening to her words of comfort.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She eventually asked, her hands having moved on to run through his hair. Bill paused for a moment.

"No… No I don't want to talk about it. Talking is dumb. It's over now." He whispered against her skin, snuggling closer into her embrace.

Mabel hummed, simply doing her best to comfort him as the night faded.


	21. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being one of my Beta-Readers!
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

Stanford shook Dipper awake, motioning with his finger for Dipper to be quiet. With a questioning brow, Stan gestured to the door. Dipper followed him out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Stan didn't say anything, quietly leading Dipper through the maze of hallways that all looked the same. Stan turned to Dipper, a finger on his lips and motioning for Dipper to be quiet as he opened the door, revealing the contents.

Mabel was curled up on her side, cuddling with Bill lying against her. The two looked quite sound lying there together, their breathing even. Dipper almost let out a cry, but Stan covered his mouth, and placed his hand on Dipper's shoulder to prevent the boy from moving forward. With a quiet click the door shut once more, and Stan dragged Dipper downstairs, in front of the vending machine.

"Grunkle Stan! We have to do something, she doesn't know what she's getting into." Dipper looked up at Stan, eyes pleading. The older man ran a hand over his face, before looking down at Dipper.

"I never wanted to show this to you, kid. You can't tell Mabel, she's in too deep with this deal. I wish she had told us sooner, but beggars can't be choosers." He let out a hollow laugh before turning, inputting a code into the vending machine.

The machine opened with a hiss, revealing a stairway down, and an elevator at the bottom. Stan led the way down, an awe-struck Dipper staring in surprise at what was there. They entered the elevator, and Stan hit the button for the third floor, taking them down.

"Grunkle Stan, what is this place?" Dipper asked, watching as they went lower. The older man sighed again. Anger began to well up in Dipper, coming up with his shock and other emotions.

"A place I hoped to forget about. Bill's not a nice demon, no matter what she says. He must be brainwashing her or something." The doors dinged and they went out, into a room full of machines and computers. "A long time ago, I had a twin too. His name was Stanley." He held up his hand as he saw Dipper open his mouth to ask questions.

"We came to this town and started learning everything about it, just like you. We met Bill too. He was nice back then to us. Then we started building that." He gestured through the window at the half finished complication of machinery. "Bill helped us. It was a portal, between here and the Dreamscape that would allow safe passage."

Stan's voice was cracking as he looked through the mirror. Dipper watched his reflection, at his great uncle wiping away tears from the memories under his glasses. All he could feel was shock and anger. How could Stan keep this from him? After everything of this town, fighting zombies together and facing off demons, the man was just telling him now?

"Then, it was up and running, and Bill pushed Stanley though, and the whole thing collapsed under itself. I tried to rebuild it, but it's been thirty years, I'd given up hope."

Dipper moved forward, placing his hand on Stan's back, offering him comfort, despite his anger. The old man accepted it for a moment, before he brushed off Dipper's hand. Dipper took the chance, seeing the bottom of the totem pole that stood in the yard, computers with complicated math, and everything covered in a thick layer of dust.

"How could you keep this from us? How do I know this isn't all some big trick, to get your brother back? How can I trust you? After everything, Stan, I would have thought you trusted me more." Dipper rounded on Stan, seeing the older Pines staring at the computer screen. He wouldn't look at Dipper.

"We need to rebuild it. There's no loophole in Mabel's deal, but for once the demon forgot about something. She has to marry him, but he never said for how long." Stan straightened his back, turning to stare at Dipper. "She is going to defend him and her decision for all she's worth. Mabel's smart too, so play along. Make sure you still argue a little, but don't stop her from seeing him, no matter what you see him put her through. Do you understand Dipper?" Stan's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Dipper was silent, not agreeing, or disagreeing. Stan sighed, clapping a hand to Dipper's shoulder. Stan could feel the anger rolling off Dipper as the young man shook off his hand.

"It's gonna be hard, kid, I'll tell you that. You're going to see things you won't like, no doubt you've already seen some of it. You're not going to get Mabel back without trusting me though. Better plane your trust in me than the demon upstairs with Mabel.

Dipper cringed a little, thinking of her tears and her story of Gideon. Looking away, he nodded, knowing what Stan was talking about. He loathed to admit it though.

"She can't help herself, and she's just like you, stubborn. Mabel thinks she has a handle on this whole thing, that she can handle it by herself. The fact of the matter is she can't. Bill's going to take her to the Dreamscape and torture her until she breaks. She's so into this that Bill could do something horrible, and she would still defend him. He probably already has." Stanford muttered the last part, running a hand through his hair. Dipper was nodding.

"She was talking to me, and apparently Gideon came and visited her. That's why her cheek is all bruised and stuff. Anyways, he came and tried to take her away. She said Bill came and saved her, then she started talking about how he has two different personalities, called Bill and Will. Bill's the nice one, and Will's the mean one. Apparently, it's Bill who's nice, and treats her good and everything. Will's the one who did the cuts on her wrist, and say that she's his, and that Will killed Gideon." He confessed all to Stanford what his twin had told him. Stanford grew paler with every word, his face completely white by the end.

"Bill killed Gideon?" He took a deep breathe, a little color returning to his cheeks. "Did the world a favor, I guess. When the police come, don't be shocked when she lies to them again. We can't have her running off and into that demon's arms. Dipper, we have to help her, she can't help herself."

They turned together, looking at the huddled mess of metal and broken parts. Dipper was sure he knew what was going to happen, but turned to Stan anyways.

"Are we going to save her?" Stan gave a sharp nod, not looking at Dipper.

"We're going to try our best."

* * *

Mabel was walking through the woods outside the Mystery Shack, wandering farther and deeper into their depths. They were getting darker and darker with each step she took, but Mabel couldn't turn back. The monster's heavy breathing followed her step for step, always there, a few paces behind her.

She refused to turn and see what it was. Her imagination ran wild with images of Gremloblins and Bigfoot following close behind her. She picked up her pace a little, hearing the monster pick up it's pace as well, harsh footsteps breaking the silence.

Mabel could hardly keep her breathing even anymore, it came out in harsh pants as she broke out into a jog. Fear gripped her heart. Her side twitched as a cramp came, and she clutched at it tightly, trying to ease it so she could breathe easier. It didn't help, and Mabel bent at the waist to move faster, free hand reaching out to grab at the rough bark of the trees.

The bark bit at her hands, and she swore she could hear the monster behind her laughing at her. It picked up the pace and Mabel screamed, crashing through the trees haphazardly, feeling them whip at her face. Tears formed in her eyes from the pain and fear, and Mabel crashed through another tree, her bare foot catching on a root. Her hands reached out, scrambling for purchase as the monster appeared, letting out a strangled sound that Mabel realized after a second was a laugh.

A cold hand pressed itself against her back, pinning her to the dirt. Mabel let out a whine, closing her eyes tightly and pressed her forehead against the soil. She knew that touch, only one creature had a touch as cold as ice.

"Why are you running from me, Shooting Star?" She didn't remember Will's voice being as rough as it was right then. "It's our wedding night, aren't you happy to see me?"

He grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet and throwing her back against the ground, her back against the dirt this time instead. Mabel looked up, but couldn't see anything except a feral smile on his face.

Will pounced, and Mabel screamed.

* * *

Mabel woke up with a scream on her lips muffled by her blanket. The lingering warmth on the mattress the only sign that Bill had been there at all. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and rose from the bed, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. It smelled like Bill, and she didn't want to lose that just yet. She brushed her teeth before heading downstairs, quite happy to be a burrito and spend the rest of the day like that.

"Grunkle Stan, where did you get all this from? Seriously, this is a lot." Dipper's voice carried through the door, and Mabel could just barely hear Stan shushing the smaller man. Mabel pressed her hands against the door, peeking in.

Dipper was searching through boxes of product, looking around at everything Stan had bought for the tourist trap. Stan was stocking the shelves, but turned to look at her as she came in. His face softened, and he walked over to her.

"How you doing there, Mabel?" He asked, still giving her the look like she was made of glass. She despised that look, but at least she understood why he was giving it to her. She had messed up badly in their eyes. Didn't they understand she was just trying to help?

"I'm fine. Can I help?" She walked a bit more into the kitchen, her bare feet making no sound on the tile. Dipper smiled at her, looking relieved she actually wanted to help.

"'Course. Want to count or put things away?" Stan asked. Mabel moved over next to him, helping him put things on the shelves.

"Anything's good with me, as long as I'm here." Mabel announced, wondering how Stan managed to order so many custom made bobbleheads of himself.

The old man smiled at her, helping her reach the high shelves, and Dipper picked up the large box he had been looking in, relieved Mabel hadn't seen what was really in it. He made sure Stan had Mabel distracted before he moved the box full of spare parts and wires out of the room, and placed it next to the vending machine to be brought down later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *breahtes*: Aesthetic...
> 
>  
> 
> .......just for Alyssa.


	22. Wonderland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SouthernKittyGal for being my Beta-Reader!
> 
>  
> 
> Oh and thank you all for the kudo's!

The snow had fallen when Bill visited Mabel again. Christmas was rapidly approaching, and with it, the reminder for the Pines family that Mabel only had a couple months left before she would be taken away. She was curled up by the window, wrapped in a blanket and watching the snow fall when Bill appeared behind her. The snap of a reality shift the only signal that he arrived in the real world. Mabel didn't turn to greet him as he sat down on the other side of the windowsill by her feet.

"Your wrist hasn't healed yet?"

It was the demon's first question, after a couple minutes of silence. Mabel finally glanced at him, although Bill didn't look at her, his gaze was on her wrist instead. She had kept the bandage on her wrist, not wanting anyone to ask about her new scar.

"It's fine. I just… Don't want to have people ask questions."

She had been making a bracelet for herself, a thick one that should be able to cover it, but it was so much easier to keep the bandage over it. The silence lapped at them again, yet it was comfortable, not awkward. Mabel pressed her forehead against the glass and let her breathing fog up the window pane. She began to draw in the condensation, images of hearts and stars.

"Why haven't you visited me?" She eventually asked, when the glass before her was full of the markings and images.

"You never called for me." He replied back just as casually, as if stating that outside it was snowing.

Mabel stared at him, and the demon turned to look out the window for a moment as if trying to figure out what to say. Eventually, he turned to back her, blinking as she stared at him. Mabel turned her gaze away from Bill, staring at her lap instead.

"It's a few months late, but would you still like to go to the Moonlight Haven with me?"

Bill looked away from her, gazing hard out the window, his jaw clenched. It was like he was expecting her rejection already, which was really on the tip of her tongue. She bit it back, wondering what she should do.

"I missed you." She eventually confessed instead. His gaze snapped to her, shock showing in his eyes but his face still hard. "It'd be nice to go there."

He grinned brightly at her words, like she just told him the world was on a silver platter waiting for him to take. Mabel smiled back, his good mood infectious.

"I'll come back at nine, okay? The place's so much better at night, anyway." He rose from his seat by her feet, glancing down at her.

"Nine it is, then." She agreed. Bill beamed brightly at her, nodding before disappearing with another pop of a reality shift.

Mabel didn't move from her spot, and turned back to watching the snow fall outside. Silently, she hoped it would be Bill that she dealt with, and not Will. The nightmare of hers returned every night. Mabel was losing sleep, but now, as her 'wedding' date was drawing closer, she feared what would happen that night.

More importantly, what would Will do to her when she was officially theirs?

* * *

Bill appeared in her room five minutes to nine, barely a snap of his fingers to announced his presence. He opened his mouth, ready to ask Mabel if she was ready to leave, but his mouth snapped shut at the sight before him.

Mabel was lying on her side on the bed, wrapped up in winter clothes to prevent from the biting cold from outside. That wasn't what stopped him, though. Her hands were fisted in the blankets, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes as she gasped, seeming in pain. Bill stared down at her as she did so, the slow realization that she was having a nightmare dawned on him.

Bill didn't know what to do. Should you wake humans from nightmares? He couldn't remember if that was nightmares or sleepwalking. Mabel shifted onto her back, gasping again as her whole body tighten with what seemed like pain. Bill decided he couldn't take it anymore, reaching down and shaking her shoulder, almost roughly.

"Mabel, wake up. It's just a nightmare."

Mabel shot up like a bullet, a cry barely muffled on her lips as she glanced around frantically at the room. When her eyes landed on Bill she scrambled back, fear in her eyes. Bill almost flinched, but held his ground, looking at her.

"It's just a nightmare." He repeated. He placed his hands on her shoulders, ignoring how she flinched back from him.

Her chest was heaving, but she eventually nodded. Bill stared at her, for the first time noticing the bags under her eyes. He noticed the weight that seemed to be slipping off her, how her winter clothes practically hung off her frame. Her hair was thin and limp, not full and wavy like it normally. He frowned at her, watching her catch her breath like she had just run a mile.

"How long have you been having nightmares?" He asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. Mabel cringed a little away from him, and Bill forced himself not to react to that.

"Since… Since you left the last time. Back in September." She eventually admitted in a whisper. She couldn't look at him, instead staring at her blankets.

Bill clenched his jaw, looking at her hard. "You've been having nightmares for months and you didn't tell me?"

Mabel flinched, shoving herself against the wall and away from Bill and his harsh tone. She gave him a nod, watching as his hand on the blanket fisted into it, gripping the blanket tightly.

"You never came to visit me, I didn't want to bother you." She told him in a small voice, eventually glancing up at him. Bill forced himself to relax.

He moved on the bed, getting into her personal space and staring at her. Mabel looked at him, and didn't move to get away, nor did she make a move to come closer to him. Seeing no signs for him to back away, Bill leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead like he did so many months ago, when they first made the deal. She relaxed as he pulled away, not saying anything.

"Well, tell ya what. Don't go reporting me about it, and I'll make sure you never get nightmares again. My bosses would flip if they found out." He didn't move off the bed, instead plopping down next to her. Mabel stared at him, relief flowing across her features.

"I won't get them anymore?" She brought her hand up to the place he kissed, touching it gently. Bill nodded.

"Thank you." Her voice was full of relief and exhaustion, and Bill was reminded once more of everything he had put her through.

For a second, he considered calling off the deal. He could take the ring off her finger, leave her and be done with it. He didn't make a move, though, and the thought faded as he thought about what it would be like to live without her now. Even exhausted and flinching at his touch, she was the only person he cared about. Bill was too selfish to call off the deal. He would leave for months, but it was always a comforting thought, that she would be there, still waiting for him.

He reached over, and took her hand. "Do you still want to go out tonight, or do you want to get some rest?"

Mabel thought for a moment, tilting her head and looking at him. Bill stared back at her, waiting for her decision.

"I want to see the faeries." She eventually decided with a smile, rising and pulling him with her. Bill smiled as well, squeezing her hand.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road! Now, close your eyes." Bill told her, standing up from the bed.

Mabel nodded, though, closing her eyes. Bill waved a hand in front of her face, and when she didn't move he flicked his wrist, bringing them to the Moonlight Haven. It was shining brightly with freshly fallen snow and moonlight. In the center was a large pink weeping willow tree, branches barely swaying with the cold winter breeze.

The faeries were already there, floating about in all colors of the rainbow as they chittered and paid no mind to the couple who magically appeared. Bill glanced around, moving Mabel around until she faced the sight before them, and told her to open her eyes.

Mabel gasped, hand going to her mouth as she saw the faeries floating around them. Bill smiled a little at her reaction, not letting go of the hand he still had a hold of. A couple of the faeries floated over to her, tangling themselves in her hair and getting themselves stuck. Mabel laughed a little, helping them get out of her hair. Once they were free, they tugged on her hair, trying to get her to walk forward.

She looked at Bill, not letting go of his hand as they walked under the canopy of the pink blossoms hanging from the weeping willow. The faeries pulled her into the center, near the trunk of the tree. They chittered happily to one another, their voices sounding like bells chiming and the sounds of nature.

He flicked his wrist again, and a blanket appeared on the snow. Mabel didn't hesitate before moving to sit on it, legs tucked underneath her. Although, Bill did hesitate before sitting down next to her, not caring that much for the faeries that landed on his shoulders, tugging at his own hair. His eyes still rested on Mabel, watching her giggle

"Do you know what they're saying?" She asked, looking at him after a moment. Bill tilted his head for a moment, listening to them carefully.

"Course I do! I know everything, sweetness. They want to know why you're here, and who you are." Bill told her, some of the faeries flew away, but most stayed, settling on them easily. Some of them floated down from the trees, bringing the pink blossoms with them and braiding them into Mabel's hair.

"I'm Mabel Pines, and I just wanted to meet you all. This is amazing." She complimented, and the faeries laughed at the compliment, the faeries on Bill leaving him to go to her. She turned to the demon, giving him a firm look.

"Don't call me that." He chuckled a bit, holding his hands up in surrender. Mabel looked at him carefully before she nodded, going back to the faeries.

He watched her shiver a bit, even wrapped in the heavy winter clothing. He frowned, moving a bit closer and wrapping his arm around her, and making another blanket appear, with a simple thought, to cover her.

Mabel leaned into his warmth, relaxing against him. He hummed, letting her lean against him, and played with the faeries that landed on his fingers. He told her the questions they asked, and they stayed under the tree and passed the time with stories and jokes.

He told her about the time he saw the sun rising over the pyramids of Egypt, and talking with the natives and hearing their tales. He told her about watching the ships come from the old world to the new world, and meeting Native Americans. She listened intently, asking questions for everything she was curious about. He answered all of her questions as best he could, leaving out some of the more gory details.

She yawned a bit as the sun began to rise, and the faeries began to go to bed. One by one, they disappeared back into their home that was the willow tree. He held her a bit tighter, watching her yawn. Her head dropped onto his shoulder, and Bill rose, carrying her easily in his arms.

"Bill…" She mumbled, voice thick with sleep. He remembered the last time they were like this, right after he saved her from her date. This time though, the night has gone so much better.

"I'm just taking you home, Star. Why don't you go to sleep? You won't get any nightmares." He glanced down at her, and she stared up at him, eyes glazed over with sleep.

"What's going to happen, on our wedding night?" She asked, voice a bit clearer. Bill stumbled, nearly dropping her at the unexpected question.

"Nothing you don't want to do." He answered, regaining his balance. There was a light blush on his face from the thought though, and he tried to brush it off, mumbling about the cold winter air. They were almost at the Mystery Shack, so Bill snapped his fingers, making them appear in her room.

With fumbling fingers she stripped off her heavy coat, almost collapsing on the bed right after. Bill chuckled a little, grabbing the end of the blanket and tugging it over her, so she wouldn't be freezing. All the while Mabel stared at him, fighting off sleep.

"Go to sleep, Star. I'll come back and visit soon."

There was no way she was being left alone for a long time again. He hadn't realized so much time had passed in the real world. Mabel nodded, finally closing her eyes. One more question spilled from her lips though, as she reached the ink blackness of unconsciousness.

"What's Will going to do to me on our wedding night?"

Bill Cipher stared down at the young girl, no answer coming from him. He heard laughter echoing in his head from Will though, and steeled himself. He made a promise to Mabel when she first woke up with a new scar, and he planned on keeping it.

_'I promised I'd always do whatever I could to protect you. Even if it means throwing myself to the devil.'_


	23. The Ordeal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks SouthernKittyGal for being my beta reader!
> 
> Thanks for all the kudo's guys!

Bill Cipher watched over his fiancée for a little bit after she fell asleep, simply making sure his promise remained. He flicked away the nightmare as it appeared, just barely able to see what it was about before it was gone. The dream demon wasn't surprised when he found that Will was the star of her nightmares, he should have guessed.

Her question about their wedding night disturbed him more than he would like to admit. He wouldn't make her do anything she didn't want to. Yet, he realized humans had certain expectations for their wedding night. In the back of his mind, Will cackled at the thoughts, already planning for that night, and Bill wasn't sure he would be able to hold him back forever. Sooner or later, Will would get out, and hurt her.

The dream demon only had one thing to offer the icy being in his soul. Something he promised himself he would never, ever allow the darkest part of himself to have. Will peaked up in his mind, hearing the direction Bill's thoughts were taking.

 _'Come on, Bill, come make a deal with me.'_ Will's voice was just a whisper, barely trailing across his thoughts.

The demon shuddered, glancing down at Mabel one last time before he vanished, appearing back in the Dreamscape. He sighed, not saying anything as he waited for Will to appear, just as he knew the apparition of himself would.

It was a while, of sitting patiently and thinking over what he wanted, before Will appeared before him, smirking in a victory he knew was in his grasp. Bill didn't move, looking at Will for a long moment, before opening his mouth.

"You'll never harm her again, never cause her a physical or mental injury. And when she tells you to do something, you will do it, without question." Bill stated, wondering if he left out any loopholes. "I'm talking about Mabel Pines, our fiancée. Not a random girl on the street. And it will last for as long as she is alive. For as long as she lives, heart beating and breathing, you will listen to what she says and never harm her in any way."

Will made a face at the mention of having to listen to Mabel. Yet he didn't protest, instead he hovered over the ground, looking down at Bill with confidence.

 _"What will you give me for all that? It is asking a lot for me to leave our fiancée alone, never getting to touch her without her consent."_ The words didn't bother him, because he knew Mabel wouldn't ever want Will to touch her. Not when she could barely stand Bill's touch.

"The thing you've always asked for. A millennia of begging and torturing and screaming for what you want, and now you can have it. As long as you follow the terms of the deal."

The apparition held out his hand, the appendage covered in bright blue flames. They weren't normal temperature as the two shook hands, but instead traveled along Bill's skin with freezing trails. Bill's skin was numb when Will finally let go of his hand, a wicked smirk sit on his lips.

"Stop sending her nightmares." Bill told him. Will scoffed for a moment, but didn't say no, so Bill knew Mabel really wouldn't get anymore of the same nightmare.

 _"I don't take orders from you,"_ was Will's only reply. Bill smirked a little, not letting himself think over what he had just given up. All for the girl who was falling apart at the seams for her brother.

* * *

He didn't regret a thing.

Mabel awoke from her first peaceful sleep in months, to someone nudging her shoulder. She looked up to see Bill hovering over her, brows furrowed. She blinked sleepily up at him, not understanding why he was so worried. She had been sleeping, shouldn't he be happy for her? She couldn't remember the last time she slept so well.

"I know you've missed sleep, but you've been asleep for fifteen hours. You need food, Shooting Star."

Slowly, she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Bill chuckled a little, going to her wardrobe and grabbing her another set of clothes. He turned his back to the wall as she changed, only turning back once she voiced her okay.

"Come on, I'll take you out for lunch." He reached over, taking her hand.

Mabel smiled, and he snapped his fingers, taking them to a small café in Germany. No one cared for the couple that magically appeared, hardly even noticing as they appeared.

"What would you like? You can get anything."

"Can I get a vanilla latté and a ham and cheese sandwich?" She ordered to the person behind the counter, who nodded. Bill wondered if Mabel knew he was translating everything for her. He motioned for her to take a seat, before gathering her coffee and food as soon as it was ready.

He gave her the items, sitting across from her and looking outside of the busy street in Germany. People walked to their places of work, most not even glancing at each other as their focus was on their destination. He looked over at Mabel, watching her eat and sip at her drink.

"I need to tell you something." Bill started, not looking at her. Mabel paused with her latté halfway to her lips, before slowly placing it back on the table and giving Bill her attention. He didn't know how to start.

"Do you remember what you asked me yesterday?" Mabel looked at him confused, with a tilt of her head. Bill concluded that she didn't remember.

"You've got to work on your memory, Star. You asked me what was going to happen on our wedding night."

Mabel's entire face flushed red, and she looked away. Bill, curiosity getting the better of him, tuned into her thoughts.

'Oh my gosh, did I really ask that? I can't believe I did, I was just worried. I didn't know what was going to happen, I'm not sure what I want for that night. What did he say though? I remember him putting me in bed but that's it! He probably thinks I'm an idiot, I mean what can I expect from a guy on our wedding night. I'm not sure I'm ready for that, though. Can I say no, though? Is that okay? What would Will do? I'd much rather spend the night with Bill than Will, but I really don't want to do anything with either of them right now. I mean Bill's nice but he left for so long, and it's not like I can get one without the other-'

Bill reached out, putting his hand on her arm. "I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to, Mabel. Neither is Will. He can't hurt you anymore."

Mabel stared up at him in shock, not reacting to his touch. She moved a bit, shifting a bit in her seat. Her hand moved, rubbing at the bandage on her wrist. It was getting dirty, she would have to change it out soon.

"Mabel, I swear on everything that I am, I will never hurt you. I made a deal with him. He can't hurt you in any way." His thumb rubbed on the sleeve of her sweater, making small circles.

She seemed to relax in her seat, slumping a little, taking her hand and covering her face. She took deep shuddering breaths, just seeming to have the strength to realize for the first time in months that she was safe.

"It was Will sending you those nightmares. I've been a horrible fiancé, for leaving you to suffer. Can you forgive me?" His voice was small, as though he feared being overheard by someone, knowing they would never let him live down actually apologizing to someone.

Mabel scoffed. "You call that an apology?"

She took her arms, crossing them over her chest and staring at him. Her eyes were shining with happiness and for the first time, Bill was reminded of the spunky girl that he made the deal with in summer. The one who yelled at him and told him he had a horrible personality. He smiled brightly at her, finally relaxing.

"Yup! As a being of pure energy with no weaknesses, that's the best you're going to get."

For a second, Mabel looked surprised, but then she let out a laugh. It rang through the café and Bill was struck by the knowledge that he had never really heard her laugh before. Mabel's laugh was full and loud, and made others turn to see what could possibly be so funny. The demon felt a bit of pride in his chest that he was the one who made her laugh like that.

"Want to go shopping? I'll get you whatever you want." He offered, making a wave at the busy street for her to look out. Mabel blinked at the sudden offer, before nodding happily.

"As long as you don't steal it." She chided, taking the last few bites of her sandwich. Bill mentally makes a note to get her more food. The sweaters hide her figure, but now that he's paying more attention, he can really see how much weight she has lost.

"Nope! Since you're with me, I'll actually buy things for once."

He rose, offering his hand to help her out of her seat. Mabel took it, grabbing her latté with her free hand, planning to take the hot drink out with them. He opened the door for her, and began to walk with the flow of people, Mabel happily walking next to him.


	24. Sapphires and Secrets

Dipper huffed as he dumped another vat of toxic waste into the container, silently hoping he didn't die of radiation poisoning before this was over. Stan was over at the desk, typing in calculations from the journals into the computer. Finally, the last of the waste was dumped into the container, the needle showing it was halfway full. They would need a lot more.

He panted a bit, hot from the sudden exercise. "Grunkle Stan, what's next?" He went over to the older man, looking over his shoulder. Stan grunted a bit, looking up at Dipper with tired eyes.

"Nah, go get some sleep kid. I just gotta put in some more of these numbers." He gestured towards the books. "Is Mabel still having her nightmares?" The old man ran a hand over his face, resting his elbow on the desk and then his head in his hand. Dipper shook his head.

"She's been getting better. Eating more, and seems happier. I think she stopped having them." Dipper answered with a smile. Stan frowned, though, rubbing at his eyes.

"Have you seen her around Bill?" Dipper shook his head, frowning as well.

"I'll go check on her, before I go to bed." Dipper clapped a hand to the old man's shoulder, turning around and heading upstairs. Stanford didn't protest, just waving his hand and inputting more calculations into the computer.

Stanford muttered under his breath, flipping through the pages before slamming the first journal closed and typing in the last few calculations for the first journal. "Shut it, nerd. I already lost you, I can't lose her too."

Dipper was sure one day he was going to travel in the elevator and it would just collapse on him. Even now as it went from the third floor back to the actual house, it shook. Dipper held onto the railing tightly, only able to relax as the door slid open once more. He climbed up the stairs, making sure to lock the vending machine up tight before going to Mabel's room. Dipper stopped outside the room, just barely able to hear voices from the other side of the door.

"I don't see how you expect me to start getting sleep again if you visit me every night." Mabel's voice traveled through the doorway, coming out a little warped through the wood.

"It's not like I can see you during the day, Star! I don't think your brother would appreciate it that much." Bill's voice was light, still annoying as hell in Dipper's mind. Mabel's sigh came through the doorway.

"He means well. They all do. Can you blame them for not wanting you to take me away?" Mabel's voice sounds sad, and Dipper wants to burst through and break the conversation up. Yet, Stan's words rang through his mind, about not interfering. He held himself back.

"No, guess I can't. What do you want to do tonight?" He asked, and Dipper heard shuffling, before it settled. He imagined Mabel against the bed, with Bill hovering over her and doing so many inappropriate things. He grit his teeth, clenching his jaw.

"I don't know. Can I ask you a question?" The sound of shifting came through again, Dipper imagined Mabel crawling away from the demon.

"Course you can."

"Why can everyone see the scar Will left me, but no one can see the ring?" Her voice was small and tentative. Dipper pressed his ear more against the door. The demon gave her a ring? He didn't know that. For a moment, he wondered what else he could be missing out on with Mabel's deal.

"Will wants the world to see it. I thought you'd be happier if you could chose when you wanted to tell people we were engaged." The demon explained. There was silence.

Dipper let his mind race. Maybe there really was a demon half of Bill, like she talked about. Dipper dismissed the notion as soon as it came. Stan was right, Mabel was just being brainwashed by Bill, she didn't know what she was getting into. It was why they had to save her. Stan warned him about all this.

"I… I wouldn't mind letting people see. That, we're engaged." Her voice is small, and Dipper remembered the wonderful sister who spelled out what she wanted when she wanted it. He wanted that sister back, one who actually talked to him and did what she wanted.

"If you're sure, Star." The demon's voice floated through the door.

"I'm sure. What kind of stone is this, by the way?"

"It's a yellow sapphire." He could hear Mabel gasp from his place. He wondered what the big deal was.

"Aren't those really expensive?" Dipper could already imagine the look on Mabel's face. He honestly couldn't wait to see what her ring looked like now.

"Of course they are. I'm a demon. That means only the best for me. Oh, and you too." Dipper rolled his eyes. It was actually hard to listen to the two. It sounded so fake, like a bad romance movie.

"Nice to see I'm an afterthought there." Mabel's laughter came through the door. Dipper pressed himself eagerly against the door, unable to remember the last time she laughed.

"Well, afterthought, aforethought, either way, you're in my thoughts."

Mabel made a cute 'aw' noise, and there was more rustling. Dipper was pretty sure they just kissed, and had to hold himself back once more from bursting into the room and tearing the two apart. Instead he moved, going down the stairs and back into the true basement of the attic. They had to get the machine working soon, winter was coming to an end. They didn't have much time left.

* * *

Mabel rose with the rising sun, Bill no longer beside her as she escaped from her bed. He had been there when she woke up lately, asking to make sure her nightmares stayed away. This morning he wasn't there, though. Yet as Mabel touched the place on her mattress she had deemed his side, it was still warm. Bill must have just left.

She got out of bed, planning on staying awake now that she was up and about. Her stomach growled for breakfast, and Mabel placed her hand over it, trying to quiet the noise. Not like anyone would be awake, though. She walked downstairs, trying her best to be quiet. Dipper had been like a second skin to her lately, and she didn't want to wake him. It was nice to get some alone time.

"Stan, where did you get all this?" Dipper's voice rang through the kitchen. Mabel paused, hovering on the other side of the doorway.

"Be quiet. You might wake her up." Stan's voice was muffled, harder to make out. "Come on, we gotta get this downstairs."

Movement was heard, and when it was quiet Mabel went into the kitchen, following after them silently as they went into the gift shop. Her bare feet on the cold tile made her shiver, but they made no sound. She peeked around the corner, curious.

Dipper was holding three large boxes, while Stan held two of his own. They stood together in front of the vending machine, as Stan type in a code and made the whole thing swing forward. Mabel covered her mouth to keep in her sound of surprise.

They went through the doorway, and Mabel couldn't move as the vending machine swung after them. She moved forward, feeling a brush of cold air travel from under the vending machine. She looked at the buttons, only seeing a couple that had been pressed over and over again.

It took an hour of trying the combination of five numbers, until finally with a hiss the door swung open once more. It nearly hit Mabel in the face, and she stumbled back. Mabel swung the door closed, and then inputted the code once more to make sure she had it right.

She would have to wait until Dipper and Stan came back, so that she could investigate what it was. Mabel knew it wouldn't be something she would like. Though curiosity burned inside her, she forced herself to turn back and wait. They were keeping something important from her, and she wanted to know what. How dare they keep such a big secret from her? Mabel Pines would have to find out.


	25. Blood and Metal

Mabel waited until the sun rose the next day for the boys to finally return. Dipper peaked into her room, making sure she was asleep before dragging himself up to his room. As soon as she heard his door shut she rose, slipping on a pair of shoes. She swore the stairs creaked even more as she tried to travel silently, each step creating a louder sound.

Finally, she reached the door of the vending machine, and input the code she had memorized. It swung open with a hiss, and Mabel slid inside, making sure to close the heavy door behind her as she went. It locked into place with a creak, another keypad on the inside to open it from there. Mabel laid her hand on the wall, unable to see a thing in the darkness around her.

It was freezing as she tentatively stepped forward and discovered a set of stairs. Her hand brushed against a light switch, and she flicked it on. After a moment the lights flickered on with a hum of electrical wiring. She blinked at the sudden brightness around her, looking at the lime green wall. It was coated in dust, her fingers had left dusty trails on the wall.

She climbed down the stairs carefully, testing each step before she put her weight on it. Even she could tell the boards were rotten and needed to be replaced, but it seemed Dipper and Stan hadn't noticed. Finally, she reached the bottom, only to be greeted with the sight of an elevator. The doors were open and waiting for her, and Mabel hopped inside, really hoping it wouldn't crash as she picked a floor. There were only two options, and through the thick layer of dust, it was easy to tell which floor had been visited the most. Mabel hit the button for the third floor.

It lowered her further into the ground with a shudder, and Mabel clutched the wall, hoping she wasn't about to die. The door opened eventually, and Mabel stumbled out of the elevator, her feet hitting the solid ground. There was no natural light, the only illumination coming from the machines around her. She walked slowly, looking at said machines and wondering what they meant. Everything was scrawled with chalk, as if a child had come through and wrote on everything. Yet it wasn't just writing, it was images and symbols that seemed faded with age. Mabel dragged her finger over one, wiping away some of the chalk. She rubbed her fingers together, before wiping them on her moved on

In front of her was a large window, with a view into another room. Mabel looked and saw a large circular metal thing, with triangles on the corners, almost looking familiar.

She stood behind the glass, looking at it for a while before she glanced down. A computer was there, still warm from its last use. On the desk was a framed picture, of herself and Dipper, from one of their first summers. She picked it up, staring happily at the image of her brother and herself. Mabel placed it back, looking around more. The journals were there as well, all still opened to one page, the blueprint Mabel vaguely remembered her brother telling her he could never figure out. Mabel glanced from the journals to the metal contraption in front of her, realizing she was staring at it, for it was the blueprint to whatever it was.

Mabel leaned forward, trying to get a better look at it. She could only see so much through the small window. She glanced around to see a door to the side. She moved over to it, twisting the handle. It stuck for a moment, so Mabel began to turn away, until suddenly it opened. The air behind the door smelled like a grease and oil, and Mabel walked through slowly, not knowing what to expect.

It loomed in front of her as she walked towards it. Her breathing was the only sound in this room, as if the entire place was devoid of sound. She reached the edge of the ground in front of the metal circle, before she reached and touched the edge of it.

"What is this place?" She thought aloud.

"I thought you'd never ask!" A cheerful voice replied behind her. Mabel twisted, seeing Bill there, though he wasn't standing, but floating.

"Oh, no, let's stop that thought right now. It's Will, not your Bill." He twirled the cane in his hand, still smiling at her. Mabel pressed her back against the metal, before reminding herself that she no longer had to be afraid of him.

"What do you want?" Mabel asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Will smirked, coming a bit closer to her.

"I thought you had a question! Maybe I'm just here to answer it." He began to float towards her, getting into her personal space. Mabel scoffed.

"You're not going to answer it for free, are you?" Mabel stared at him, arching a brow. She tried to back away, but her back was already pressed against the metal, she could not move any further. Even with Bill's promise, he still scared her. Will seemed to know this, and fed off it. His smirk grew.

"Tell you what. Let's work out a trade. For every question, I want something in return. The bigger the question, the bigger the thing I'll ask for." Will explained. Mabel furrowed her brow, thinking it over.

"What kinds of things would you ask for?" She asked. His smirk grew, and Mabel rolled her eyes. "We haven't made any trade yet, feel free to answer it."

Will's jaw tightened, obviously not wanting to answer it. "I won't agree to a trade unless you tell me what you might ask for."

"Simple things. Depends on what you ask. Maybe a kiss, maybe a hug, maybe some time with you. You'll never know!" He cackled at the end, rolling on his back on the end and staring up at the ceiling.

"What is this place?" Mabel asked, figuring he wouldn't ask for anything big right now. Will glanced down at her, excited.

"The price for that question is a kiss on the cheek, Shooting Star." He replied with a smirk. He floated down so his face was even with hers, barely a couple inches separating them.

Mabel recoiled, staring at Will in surprise. Then she realized something. "You can't touch me, unless I let you, can you?" She asked with a smirk. Will never let her give anything before, he simply took.

Will scowled, face contorting. He reached out, hand like a snake. Mabel flinched, but his hand hovered an inch before her skin, seeming unable to go any further. The demon's scowl grew as her smile came back. A little bit of relief, flowing through her.

"You can't!" She laughed. "How desperate are you, to have to work out a deal with Bill?" She meant it as an insult, yet Will smiled.

"I gained more in that deal than any others before, Shooting Star. Now, do you want the answer to your question or not?" He was still in her personal space, but Mabel didn't mind, knowing he couldn't get closer unless she wanted him too.

"Tell me my answer, and you'll get what you want." She replied back. Will scowled again, and Mabel stared at him as he did so. She wondered what he would do.

"I guess you really don't want your answer." Will lamented, pressing a hand over where Mabel imagined his heart to be. Mabel rolled her eyes, but considered the offer. After a second of debating with herself, she leaned forward, just barely brushing her lips across his cheek.

"That is a one time thing. You have to ask every time." She explained, ignoring the chill on her lips from his skin. "Now, tell me what is this place?"

Will shrugged. "A place your great uncle and brother hoped you would never find."

Mabel gave him a flat stare. "Should have known better than to get an actual answer." Will smiled brightly at her.

"You're catching on quickly, Shooting Star!" Will beamed at her as if she just told him the world was his for taking. "Now, next question!"

She wasn't really sure she wanted to ask him anything more really. Yet, she wasn't getting anywhere on her own. "What is this?" She gestured to the metal ring. Will made a disgusted face at the machinery, before he turned back to her.

"A bigger question this time. How about a hug?" He asked, hovering a couple inches over the ground in front of her. He held his arms out, waiting for her call.

Mabel really didn't want to. She wanted to go upstairs and confront her brother and uncle. Yet, after a moment, she stepped forward into his icy embrace, barely wrapping her arms around him for a second before she tried to pull away. Will didn't let her go though, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She was reminded of a snake coiling around her, taking her breathe away.

"Will, let me go. Now." She managed out, trying to get away from him. The demon's arms dropped from around her like she was made of fire. She took a step back, looking at him cautiously, amazed he'd listened to her.

"It's a portal." He answered. Mabel turned from him, looking up at the giant metal circle. He stared at her, a frown now on his features.

She looked around once more, before turning back to Will. "I don't know whether to ask where the portal leads to, or why they're building it." She laughed a little. Will smirked.

"Both are big questions, I think a kiss will be enough. One kiss for each question." He replied. Mabel winced, staring at him in surprise.

"A kiss?" She just wanted to make sure. Will didn't respond besides a smirk, and Mabel had to fight not to roll her eyes.

"Of course. Why am I not surprised?"

She stepped towards him a bit, and he finally lowered himself to the ground, watching her carefully. Even when he was on the ground, he stood taller than her, and she had to stand on her toes to even be near enough to kiss him. Will was still as stone as she tentatively placed her hand on his arm to steady herself. Her lips were barely an inch away from his, and his breath ghosted across her face. Even that was cold.

Should she do this? It was feeling so much like betraying Bill. She wanted to move away, but her curiosity was driving her closer. She leaned up, almost standing on the tips of her toes, and gently brushed her lips against his in the faintest of touches. His lips were cold, almost frozen as they brushed against her own. She pulled back, and Will let her, looking a bit surprised that she'd actually done it.

"Where does the portal lead to?" She asked, wanting her answer.

"The Dreamscape." His reply was short. He offered nothing else.

Mabel turned from him, considering what she had learned. Stan and Dipper were building a portal to the Dreamscape. The same place that was Bill's domain, the place he was going to take her away to in a couple months. For a long while it didn't click. She stood there and looked at the almost complete portal and listened only to the sound of her own breathing. Will didn't tap his fingers, didn't make any sounds like Bill did. The only reason she knew he was still there was she could still feel his gaze on her.

"They're going to try to rescue me, aren't they? After you take me away in the summer." Mabel wrapped her arms around herself, and expected no answer from the demon. She was right.

"How can I stop them?" She asked, finally turning to Will. The demon raised a brow, gesturing all around him.

"Is that an actual question, or do you just want suggestions?" Mabel rolled her eyes, looking back at the portal.

"Why don't you destroy it?" Mabel asked, getting ready for whatever she needed to give. Will was staring hard at the portal, and Mabel came to another realization.

"You can't, can you?" More of his silence greeted her. With a sigh she walked forward to the panels. "It's a deal or something, but I bet you can't touch a thing in here even if you tried."

She looked around, trying to find a nook that would let her see inside the panels, to see the main insides of the machinery. She slipped her nail under the panel, popping it off easily. Underneath was a mess of wires and bolts, all carefully put together. Mabel let herself wonder for a brief moment how long her family had been working on this for, before she attacked the wires, ripping them apart. Once that panel was completely destroyed, she peeled off the next one, ripping apart wires.

Mabel moved on, going to each panel and tearing it apart, letting the guts of the machinery fall to her feet. Her nails ripped and tore, and her palms were easily cut on the metal. Blood dripped down her arm, pooling on the dirt floor.

She couldn't let them do this. Will would tear them apart the moment they stepped inside the Dreamscape. She knew he would, and his silence behind her as she destroyed her family's hard work let her know her thoughts were right.

She was panting hard as she moved as high as she could reach, going over and destroying as much as she could. Finally, there was nothing left she could destroy that didn't require more tools. She moved back into the main room, Will following her closely, as though interested in what she would do next. Mabel paused at the computer, her bloodied hand picking up the picture frame and slipping it into the waistband of her pants to take with her. Once it was safely tucked away, she reeled back her fist, and cracked the computer monitor. It took two more hits before it shattered, glass embedding itself into her knuckles.

It took three of the journals to bring the portal to life, as they were all sitting open to the same page. Mabel stared for a moment before she realized one of them must have been in her room, because she never gave Dipper back his journal. More anger and hurt rose within her. Didn't they understand she was doing all this for them? Didn't they trust her at all? She flipped them closed, before grabbing the first one. Her hands left bloody marks on the leather cover.

Mabel turned, hands hurting and still panting, leaving the room. Will didn't follow her this time, so she turned back, intent on saying a few last words.

"I know that's what you wanted. You don't want them coming after me anymore than I want them to." Mabel sent him a tired glare. "I won't let you hurt them. That's the only reason I did this, do you understand?"

Will smirked. "Understood, Shooting Star. You know just as much as I do what will happen if they come to my home."

She gave a tense nod, before she dragged herself up the stairs. Mabel needed to wrap her hands and get some sleep.


	26. Pieces of the Game

Dipper yawned as he rose and traveled down the stairs to the basement. The moon was just rising, Mabel was sound asleep, and Stan had gotten more of the toxic waste they needed. He wondered how long he would be able to keep this up before he would need to sleep. He tapped his fingers on the wall as he went down, leaving marks in the layers of dust. Stan had already gone down, and Dipper waited impatiently for the elevator to come back up.

He stepped out of the elevator as it dropped him off at the third floor, and glanced at the chalk done spells of protection Stan had him draw. Apparently, they would keep Bill from being able to come down here. The chalk was fading though, and Dipper knew he would have to redo them soon, before they faded. He checked every mark carefully, cursing as he found one with a part erased. It looked like someone had taken their finger and ran it straight through it. He grabbed some chalk from nearby, and filled in the missing marks, completing the spell once more. Bill shouldn't even be able to appear here now. He sighed as he realized the only one that had a smudge on it was one of the most important ones.

"Dipper!" Stan called from deeper in the fort, and Dipper rose, going to his great uncle.

"What?"

He didn't have time to listen to another lecture about how he was doing everything wrong.

Stan was standing before the giant portal, looking at it. Dipper moved to follow after the elderly man, but paused for a moment as something crunched under his foot. Glass littered the ground, and Dipper looked to search for the source. The computer monitor was shattered, the glass littering the floor. There were dark red stains of blood littering the table, and bloodied fingerprints decorating it all.

"Dipper! Get in here!" Stan called.

Dipper rushed from the room, out before the portal where his great uncle was standing.

"What's going on?" Dipper asked, looking at the portal before them. Panels were ripped out and the guts of machinery were shown. Wires with blood covering them lay on the ground, covered in dirt from the floor.

"Stan!" Dipper almost screamed, looking at the destruction. The old man kneeled to the ground, picking up some of their hard work and looking closely at it.

"It must have been Bill. Of course he would come and destroy everything. Why did I think he wouldn't?" He moved running his hands through his hair, and knocking his hat off his head.

"I can't believe this! How did this happen?"

Stanford turned to Dipper, giving the younger man a harsh look.

"Shut up!" He picked up a piece of metal paneling, and shoved it in Dipper's face.

"What do you see?" He placed the panel in Dipper's hands, making the young man look at it. Dipper scowled at him, before throwing the panel aside.

"What does it matter? We're never going to save Mabel now, are we?!" Dipper screeched. "I'm going to kill him for this his!"

"Dipper, shut up!" Stanford screamed, and Dipper immediately quieted, having never had the old man yell at him like that. At least not since he was in mortal danger from those zombies.

"It wasn't Bill. Have you ever seen a demon bleed?" He asked, pausing for a second.

Dipper opend his mouth to reply, yes, of course he has, when he realizes that he never had He shut his mouth closed, looking at Stan.

"They don't bleed red, demon blood is black." He picked up another discarded panel, which had a bloody handprint smeared on it. The handprint which was, of course, red.

"So?" Dipper challenged. Stanford sighed, throwing the panel away.

"So, Bill bleeds black blood! Who else would have any motive to stop us?" Stanford asked. Dipper sighed. He didn't want to play the game of guessing where Stan was going with his questions.

"I don't know, I don't care. Get to your point." Dipper snapped back, ready to throw a punch at the old man, but held himself back.

"It was Mabel! Bill can't even appear down here, he doesn't bleed red. Mabel does, and she's the only one who would try to stop us!" Stanford ran a hand through his hair, glaring at the carnage around them.

"She wouldn't do this." Dipper defended, though he was already thinking it was true. It would make sense. "How does she even know about this place?" Dipper shifted, uncomfortable with how this conversation was going.

"Doesn't matter anymore. We'll never be able to fix everything in time, and even if we could, she took one of the journals with her." Stan shot back. Dipper nodded, trying to find a flame of home inside himself that would let him save his sister. There was none though.

"That's just it? We're giving up?" Dipper was completely floored that the elder Pines was giving up so easily. The old man glared.

"What can we do? We can't rebuild in time! Even if we could, she took the journal!" Stanford shouted. Dipper glared back as best he could.

"So we try anyways! We can't give up!" Dipper screeched, and Stanford sighed for a moment before sitting in the dirt, seeming to just give up.

"So close… I finally have a chance, and in one night it's blown. I could have gotten him back." Stan mumbled, looking so defeated.

Dipper's jaw tightened at the words, and he glared down at the old man. "I knew it. I knew this was all just a big trick, you just wanted your brother back. Well, guess what? I bet he's dead. I bet he died the moment Bill dragged him there, and now that's going to be Mabel." His voice was thick by the end, cracking painfully.

Stanford looked up at Dipper in surprise, mouth opening to form some kind of excuse, to say something, but nothing came out. The younger Pines turned on his heel, snatching up his journal from the table and rushing back upstairs. He shut the secret door firmly, before rushing back up to his room. For the first time since working on the portal, he didn't check on Mabel as he rushed upstairs. The male twin missed out on his sister rewrapping her bandages, and shoving the journal between her mattress and the wall.

* * *

Bill floated in the Dreamscape, just barely able to see through it and into the real world at Mabel. She was rewrapping her hands, and Bill groaned at the sight. She had hurt herself, even if Will coerced her into doing it, she was still hurt. The apparition of himself appeared next to him, smirking a bit.

 _'Don't be so upset, Billy boy. Everyone got what they wanted!'_ Will laughed loudly, looking at Bill. Bill tapped his fingers, listening to the tocks among the ticks of his clock.

"Looks like you got most out of that than she did." He observed, rolling his eyes.

 _'Of course I did! That's how it works!'_ Will moved and floated on the air, lying back on the open air and lounging there as if he was lying on a couch.

"You got her to do your dirty work."

 _'Our dirty work.'_ Will corrected. _'How doesn't matter. The ends justify the means. You're just upset I got a kiss. She tastes lovely, don't you think?'_ Bill growled a little, glaring at Will.

"Leave her alone!" He moved a bit away from Will, watching Mabel to try to distract himself from how annoyed he was with his demon half.

 _'You only said I had to get consent I did that. She did everything on her own. I wonder what else I can get Shooting Star to give. The best part? She'll give it all to me, to keep her family and you safe.'_ Will beamed down at Bill, eyes holding plans for the future. _'How much can she give me until she breaks?'_

"Goddamnit, leave her alone! Stop trying to break her! She's stronger than you think!" Bill shouted now, turning on the demon.

_'That's what makes her such a fun game. I'll get the next couple millennia with her, just like I've gotten the last couple with you. She'll be almost as fun to break as you were.'_

Bill flinched, eyes widening. "You wouldn't."

Will smirked, all teeth and no lips. Bill took a step back at the words, trying to hide how scared he was.

_'Really, my chosen one? She is going to give so much, all to keep her family safe. All to keep you safe. I can get her to give up everything, with just a threat. The best part is, she'll give everything to me, and give it willingly. 'Cause you're too weak to let her go, and she can't break the deal. She know's what I'll do to Pine Tree.'_

Bill covered his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Will laughed, smirking at Bill but not saying anything more. He moved, bringing his hands and taking Bill's hands away from his ears.

_'You're pathetic, you're weak. You'll let the one creature on earth you love slowly die and suffer at my hands because you're too much of a coward to let her go. She's going to be all mine, and when she is, she will be the next chosen one. So smile, Billy boy, you can finally be free of me.'_

Bill ripped himself out of Will's icy grasp, almost falling for a moment before he caught himself. He stumbled back, struggling to breath through the sudden ice in his lungs.

"No, you can't take her. Please, you can't take her, anyone else. I'll give you anyone else in the world, just don't take her." He pleaded, but Will moved away, smirking.

 _'You have nothing left to give. You pathetic weakling. I've taken everything you have to of_ fer.'

Will disappeared, and Bill was left all alone in the Dreamscape with only his thoughts as company. Well that, and the ticking of the clock.

_Tick, tick, tock, tick, tick, tock, tick, tick, tock._


	27. See you later

On the day before the one year anniversary of the deal, Mabel sat on the roof with her brother, watching the sun rise. Spring had come and with it brought loads of parties, and family bonding time. It brought Stan's birthday, and celebrations and a spring full of seeing faeries and other creatures that only came out during the spring.

She had a new scar on the back of her hand from the glass of a computer screen. Dipper never said anything about her injured hands, and she never brought anything up. It almost turned into a game, of who could avoid sensitive topic. They had a day left together, and though Dipper knew time for his twin was almost gone, he had no idea just how little there was left. The sun rose with a mix of pinks and yellows, before it finally rose over the horizon and the sky turned blue.

"How much time do you have left?" Dipper broke the silence first, leaning back against the roof and staring up at the sky.

"A week." Mabel managed out, not wanting him to know tomorrow would be her last day. Dipper stared at her for a moment, almost ready to call her on her lie, before he nodded, and looked back towards the sky.

"Why did you do it?" Dipper asked, not looking at her. Mabel looked at him as he asked, wondering just what he was talking about.

"The deal?" The male twin shook his head.

"The portal, why did you destroy it?" Mabel looked at the sky, considering for a moment to deny. Yet, tomorrow she would be gone, and Mabel didn't want to lie to her brother.

"You don't know what he would do to you, if you came there. You wouldn't be able to rescue me, or get me out. You think he's just going to give me up that easily?" Mabel asked him, talking about Will, but not bothering to point out the difference. Dipper didn't care for the difference between Bill and Will, and a long time she stopped trying to point out there were really two.

"We could've tried." Dipper mumbled, but his voice sounded as weak as his argument was.

"He'll keep me alive, but I know the moment you step into his realm you would die. He's told me so. I couldn't risk it."

Dipper didn't say anything, and Mabel had the urge to jump up, to go and take on the world and see everything that there was. Tomorrow she would be giving up so much, and she couldn't help but resent Bill a little bit in her heart, for taking one of her years away from her.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself and started to cry, because she was only eighteen in a couple months. She should be planning college and worrying about how to spend her last summer. She shouldn't be thinking of a wedding or handing herself off to a demon. Dipper raised himself up and gave her a hug, and she started crying over the fact she would never see his wedding day, or meet his kids. She would live by the side of a demon who didn't age, and though she cared about Bill, her life was meant to be so much more.

Mabel would never get a chance to have kids, or have a normal husband. She would never get to design her own fashion line, or make her name for herself. She would disappear into the fray of people who don't make a mark on the Earth in their short time there. Her family would remember her, and that would be it.

"Mabel, you don't have to." Dipper told her, rubbing her back. "We'll hide you, and keep you safe." Yet the female twin shook her head, almost frantic.

"No, no, I can't. He'll never let me go." She whispered. She didn't know if she was talking about Bill or Will, but she meant both. Bill would have let her go anytime if he really wanted, and Will was never going to set her free.

She pulled away from her brother, grabbing at her wrist. A long time ago she had finished the wide black band that covered the scars on her wrist. It was simple and wide enough to cover it, with the black obsidian stone Bill gave her set in it. She already knew Will wouldn't want her wearing it when she got there, and Mabel no longer had a reason to hide it. The bracelet came off with a snap of the buttons, and she grabbed Dipper's wrist to place it on him.

"There, now you can always remember me." Mabel's voice was thick with more tears to be shed, but she held them back.

"I could never forget you. This is so stupid! Just let me go insane! You can't leave! You just can't..." Dipper trailed off at the end. Suddenly Mabel had to comfort her brother the way he just did for her. She rubbed his back, and murmured reassurances into his ear.

"I have to. Will you take care of Waddles while I'm gone?" She asked him, pulling away from Dipper. The male twin sent a glare out to the forest, as though he thought Bill was watching.

"I shouldn't have to. If he really cared about you, he wouldn't be taking you away."

Mabel didn't say anything, and neither did Dipper. Eventually, they went down to the main room, to spend her final day in Gravity Falls with family.

They spend the day watching episodes of Ducktective, and stopping Soos from ordering random things from the ads. Wendy even came by and said hello, telling them about her new adventures in college.

The spend the night watching old claymation movies that Mabel was still scared of, but she didn't scream or hide because now she knows there are worse things to be afraid of. Dipper holds her hand during the scary parts of the movie, and tries to tug at her ring when he thinks she isn't paying attention. No matter how he tugged though the ring stayed, and never came off.

Finally, the movie ended with Stan and Dipper snoring away. Mabel didn't sleep, she couldn't. She was too concerned for the life she would be leaving behind and the world with color in it. She throws a blanket over the two, giving them each a kiss on the cheek before she walked away, turning the television off.

The roof called for her, and she climbed up the ladder carefully to get there. Easily, she went and sat on the edge, leaning back and staring at the stars that shone above her. She only had a couple more hours until Bill came for her, and Mabel was struck by how unprepared she was for it.

She had been brave for a year, but now she let herself cry for her mom, because she hadn't seen the woman in months, and she was only seventeen. She should be going to take on the world and going to college with Dipper. She shouldn't have to worry about whether or not she would see colors again after tonight.

There is a sudden bang of the door to the roof opening, and Mabel whips around, wiping furiously at her face. She turned just in time to see the faded red of the fez Stan always wears coming up to the roof. The old man huffed and puffed as he made this way, practically dragging himself up the ladder and then onto the actual roof. Mabel rushed to his side, helping him.

"Grunkle Stan, what are you doing up?" She asked him, patting his back as the old man gave a series of coughs, having obviously just pushed himself too hard.

"You're leaving tomorrow, ain't ya kiddo?" His gruff voice replied when he caught his breath. Mabel cringed a little at how he could have guessed, and then nodded. Stan sighed, using her as leverage to get up and plop down in one of the chairs they had there.

"Figured. Normally while watching the movies you're the first one asleep." He gestured for the seat next to him, and Mabel sat, smiling sheepishly.

"I'm sorry I have to go." She ended up saying, and Stanford shook his head.

"Nah, it's not your fault kiddo. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to protect you." He reached out, patting her back. Normally Mabel could expect to flinch from the blow, but this time his touch his soft.

They sit in silence for a little bit, before Stanford opened his mouth once more, looking over at his great niece. His face pinches as he looked at her, but Mabel can't identify what he's feeling.

"You have to look out for Dipper when I'm gone, okay?" She ended up asking. Stan shook his head, brows furrowing as he frowned.

"Dipper's not talking to me, kiddo." He muttered, and Mabel shook her head.

"So make him talk to you. You have to make sure he eats and doesn't stay up all night reading. You have to make sure that he calls mom and dad and goes to the doctor when he needs it. I'm not going to be there so you have to." Mabel explained to him, and Stan looked ready to protest before he eventually nodded.

"I brought ya something." He told her, reaching under his fez and pulling out a small item wrapped in brown paper. "Girls used to go on about those things you need for a wedding. What was it something blue and some other stuff." Mabel couldn't help but laugh, knowing the phrase he was trying to think of.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue!" She said the phrase with a bit of excitement. At least if it's only for a little bit, she can talk to someone else about a wedding and pretend she's normal.

"Right, that. I figured this could be your something old." He handed her the item. Mabel eagerly but carefully opened the small package, revealing the contents.

The item in the size of her palm, a delicate flower that feels as if it's made of glass. Mabel holds it to the moonlight, seeing the white petals and the clip that allows it to be attached to the hair. Stanford watched her carefully, as though afraid she might declare she hate it.

"It belonged to the only girl I ever loved. Her name was Carla. I want you to have it." He said the words gruffly, as though he was embarrassed to be sharing so much with her. Mabel closed her fingers around the old item, holding it closely.

"Thanks, Grunkle Stan." Mabel's voice cracks with emotion, and Stanford takes it as his cue to leave, having never been one for crying.

"Don't worry about it, kid. I'm going to head to bed, and so should you." He got up with some trouble, heading down the ladder and back to the actual inside of the Mystery Shack.

Mabel watched the sun rise once more, and this time the sky wa doused in purples and pinks and yellows and reds. It was gorgeous and unlike anything she had ever seen before. She could not help but feel as though the world was giving her one last goodbye.

She rose slowly as the sun did, going downstairs and washing her tear stained face. It took her an hour to braid her hair into a form she liked. Her dress was white and took a week to make, but she refused to go into town and buy something to have the small town of Gravity Falls gossip about her. It fell to her knees and had gold trimming with long billowing sleeves that fell almost to her fingertips. She wore her necklace that Bill gave her almost a year ago and white sandals. Mabel never did well in high heels. In the last minute she clips the flower that Stan gave her to her hair, completing her look.

So she waited. She sat on her bed, and when afternoon hit she almost cried as she watched the color bleed from the room. Bill appeared before her, not saying a word as she rose from her place on her bed. Then he opened his mouth and Mabel wanted to run.

"Ready to tie the knot, Shooting Star?" He held his hand out for her, for a long second she stared at it, wondering if it would be worth it to run. She wasn't ready, she didn't want to do this anymore. It was so much easier a year ago when she still had two years and time to spend with her family.

"Come on, sweetness, you know what'll happen if you try to get out of this now." Even as subtle as it was, Mabel recognized the threat there. All at once she is reminded of the fact she is tying herself to a demon. Though he may be nice and have his kind moments, but he still takes what he wants. What Bill wants right now is her.

He stood stock still, and Mabel breathed deeply, reminding herself of words she spoke when she first summoned Bill.

_'Breathe in, breathe out. It's going to be okay. Breathe in, breathe out. For Dipper.'_

"I'm ready."


	28. From This Day Forth

The preacher walked her down the aisle because her father wasn't there to. It was a small chapel with mosaic windows that didn't let her see outside. She wondered where she was, where this small little church was. There were pews that rested behind the couple as she walked to where Bill was waiting for her. Mabel couldn't help but imagine her family members in those seats, silently watching her as she walked down to her fiancé, her about-to-be husband.

The preacher handed her off to Bill, and the demon took her hand. His hand was neither warm nor cold, but in fact felt normal to her. Briefly, she glanced at him and wondered if it was Bill or Will, before she decided it was neither, that maybe they were sharing the moment.

She didn't have a bouquet to hold as the preacher talked about love and marriage. The hand that wasn't holding Bill's was fisted in her dress, holding tight to the fabric. Mabel couldn't help but hope that Dipper would burst into the room and try to save her.

He didn't though, and the preacher starts the vows. He turned to Mabel first.

"Repeat after me. Your husband has told me you wrote your own vows?" She gave a nod, shooting Bill a suddenly nervous look. Bill stared pointedly at the preacher, not looking at her. The preacher was the first one who has referred to Bill as her husband, and it makes the situation all the more real.

"From this day forth, now and forever…"

"...From this day forth, now and forever…"

"...I will promise to love and cherish you…"

"...I will promise to love and cherish you…"

"...and with these words, I am bound to you forever."

Mabel paused, unable to speak for a moment. Bill squeezed her hand tightly, almost painfully. Her throat was tight and the preacher looked at her with knowing eyes. He must have seen a hundred women pass through these halls, blushing brides who couldn't wait for this day.

Yet Mabel is neither blushing nor willing for this day. She wants a minute, an hour more, to prepare herself for this. Bill holds her hand tightly, and the preacher was now giving her concerned looks. Mabel realized she has taken too long in her reply. Her hand in her dress tightened it's grip, and she wanted to rip away from Bill's vice-like grip.

"...a-and with these words… I-I'm bound to you, forever."

Her voice was rough and almost a choked sob. She forced the words out with gritted teeth by the end. The priest glanced between the two, as if he realized there was something wrong for the couple with no one there to witness their union.

The preacher cleared his throat, and Mabel looked at him. She forced herself to think of the good times with Bill, the times when he was simply kind. She reminded herself that this wasn't all bad, that even after a year she isn't prepared, but she can still face this. She will face it the same way she did when she summoned Bill, back when she didn't know he could be kind. Mabel Pines knows that there is a part of him that cares for her, so at least she has that.

Bill repeats the same vows to her that she just said. She wondered for a moment if the vows are meant to be anything special, or simply words Bill wanted to hear her say. She doesn't hear anything else as the preacher finished the ceremony, completely skipping over the part if anyone had any objections.

"By the power invested in me by all that is holy, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He paused, and looked between the two happily. "You may now kiss the bride."

Bill turned to her with a small smile on his face. She tried her best to smile back, but it felt strange and unnatural on her lips. He bent, briefly pressing his lips against hers, and pulled away after a moment when she didn't kiss back.

"May you both have happiness in your lives together." The pastor left the newly wedded couple, before anything else could happen in the empty church. Mabel looked away from Bill, at the stained glass mosaic. The bright colors reflect on the ground, and Mabel pulled away from Bill to stand under the light shining through. She is bathed in light and colors. Mabel wanted to soak up as much of it as she could before being taken away to that horrible place where color doesn't exist.

"Are you ready to go home, my wife?" Bill asked as he came up behind her, placing his warm hand on the small of her back. For a moment she paused, before she turned to him.

"I'm ready, my husband."

The newly wedded couple disappeared into the world without color, no sound to wish them goodbye or anyone to offer congratulations.

As the couple appeared in the Dreamscape, Mabel was shocked to see the sleepy town of Gravity Falls still around her. She and Bill were wearing the only splash of color, and Bill led her through the streets. She wondered what was happening in the small town without her right now. She liked to imagine that nothing had changed, the town would still get along fine without her.

Soon they were walking through the woods, until they reached the top of the hill they were climbing. Before them stood a simple two story house, with windowsills that have flowers growing in them that Mabel imagined would be gorgeous if color was allowed in.

He ushered her inside, and Mabel was only a little disappointed when he didn't carry her across the threshold, but she wasn't surprised. The house was simple and decorated, but it felt fake, like plastic. It was like a home on display, it didn't feel lived in.

"This is our home. Feel free to redecorate, if you wanna'." He went over, having her sit on the couch that certainly felt real underneath her, and standing before her. "You can roam about the town and do what you want, but do not try to leave this place."

Mabel was sure it was Will talking now, but simply nodded.

It could be so easy, to go and imagine a portal out of here and back to the real world. Will seemed to notice the thought, scowling a little. He snapped his fingers, for a moment, her ring burned hot, and Mabel gasped, trying to take it off. Yet soon the heat faded, and Mabel looked up at him, waiting for an explanation.

"If you ever try to leave, your ring will let me know. I'm sure your family won't appreciate hearing of you trying to leave on your honeymoon." He practically sneered the last word. Mabel cringed a little, before nodding.

"I understand." She eventually murmured, and Will beamed at her.

"Great! You've always been a smart one, Star. Now, how about a parting kiss, and I'll leave you and Bill alone for the night to do whatever you want." He smirked a little, and the idea of kissing him wasn't as revolting to her as it would have been ten minutes ago. She so desperately wanted to talk to Bill, the Bill who was kind and wouldn't demand things of her.

In a swift motion the young woman stood, not hesitating before pressing her lips against his own chilled ones. Like before, the first and only time she kissed Will all those months ago, he froze. Yet unlike before, before she could pull away he wrapped his arms tightly around her, taking advantage of her gasp of surprise to deepen the kiss to a new level Mabel hadn't been expecting. His icy tongue slipped into her mouth, chilling her and making her shiver.

He pulled away when he seemed to have enough of her, a wide, almost feral grin stretched across his face.

"I'll be seeing you later, Star." He mocked, because of course he would be seeing her later.

Then his hold loosened, and no longer chilled her to the bone. He began to radiate heat, and Mabel relaxed a little as it was finally Bill, just her Bill, holding her. He looked at her, confused for a moment, before smiling a little.

"Miss me that much already, Mrs. Cipher?" He teased, and Mabel couldn't help but blush a little. He laughed, finally letting her out of his embrace.

"Not as much as you think, Mr. Cipher." They laughed a little.

An awkward silence descended over the two. Mabel wiped her palms on her dress, and looked anywhere but him. Yet the demon seemed happy to look straight at her, just quietly observing her. Eventually, Mabel could not take the silence anymore, sighing loudly through her nose.

"What happens now?" She asked quietly, finally bringing her gaze back to the demon. Bill shrugged.

"What do you want to happen?" He asked instead, tilting his head.

Mabel shrugged, more uncertain of herself at this moment than she has ever been in her life. She frowned a little, mentally slapping herself. She was Mabel Pines! The girl who picked up guys by introducing herself as the girl of their dreams. She was the girl who wasn't afraid if what she wanted, who was made a congresswoman by President Quentin Trembley!

Yet, Mabel had no idea what she wanted right now. She felt like there was so much more to his question than he was letting on, that if she said anything for him to stay, she wasn't just wanting him to stay by her side, but in her bedroom.

She wasn't that surprised when the idea isn't that horrible to her. It is Bill she wants to spend time with, Bill is the one she was almost certain she had fallen for. The demon was still in front of her, seeming to grow more impatient by the second, waiting for her decision.

"It is our wedding night, isn't it?" She asked, finally looking up and meeting his eyes with her own.

His own held a flicker of surprise, before they faded to an indifferent look.

"It is." Bill confirmed. Mabel nodded, reaching out and taking his hand, and leading him up the stairs.

"Then I would like to spend the night with my husband." She murmured, finding the room that was meant to be hers, because no other room has as much detail, had things that she was meant to like. Bill followed after her, quietly closing the door after him.


	29. Your Touch Brings Pain

Mabel awoke to an empty bed, with only a soreness between her thighs to remind her of her choice last night. She didn't know what she's more disappointed in, the fact the bed was empty instead of her, or that she really thought Bill would stay with her.

She laid in bed for a little while longer, simply having no energy to rise. After a couple minutes she decided the world wasn't going to face itself, and got out of bed. Her wedding dress was a crumpled mess on the floor from where it had been tossed carelessly aside, and with gentle hands she picked it up. It needed to be cleaned and pressed, Mabel made a mental note to do it later as she laid it carefully on the bed. She feels better once she has a task to do, even if it is a small task. At least she won't be wandering around the silent plane of existence.

She slowly traveled downstairs, her bare feet making no sound on the cold carpet. She opened every door, peeking in bare rooms that were obviously never meant to be used. What would be the point of having guest rooms, anyways? Not like anyone could come and visit her. There were more rooms after that, obviously storage rooms from the boxes stacked to the ceiling.

She began to wonder just how large the house was. From the outside it had looked tiny, but now, wandering through the halls that always twisted, she cursed her curiosity. She was in his world. This house wasn't going to make any more sense than the rest of it would. Mabel kept her hand on the right side of the wall, simply following it through. Even dead ends didn't stop her.

After the third room was filled with simple boxes, Mabel began to wonder if she had any power here. The last time she faced with Bill in his realm she did, though it was years ago. She faced a large oak door, hand hovering over the handle.

"This room will be filled with... Candles." She voiced the first thing that came to her mind, before she twisted the handle and opened the large oak door. Mabel was faced with hundreds of candles, all lit, upon every inch of the floor. She shut the door, opening it again and seeing the candles once more.

She let out an excited laugh, moving to another door. "This will be the entrance to the kitchen." She twisted the small brass knob, and the door opened to the kitchen.

She walked inside the room, glancing around at the high end stainless steel appliances. They shone brightly, the brightest things she had seen in the house. Now as she looked back, the only splash of color was the flames of the candle. She hadn't thought anything would be able to shine here in Bill's realm, but the machinery managed it.

The fridge opened with a hiss, cold air wafting through and landing on her feet. The fridge was bare of foods, and in a second Mabel imagined it full of fruits and foods and essentials. In a moment the cupboards and pantry is full. The kitchen is covered in magnets and plates and everything that screamed Mabel. It makes her feel good to have a room have her touch to it. It's another moment to see the letter waiting for her on the counter.

'Mabel.

Congrats on finding the kitchen! I'm sure you can make your way through the rest of the house on your own. Remember, don't try to leave.'

Mabel didn't know if it was the harsh words or the reminder that she could leave that hurt her the most. She crumbled the paper up, tossing it away before she turned away. The ring on her finger was just that, a ring. What Bill didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She walked to the door she had come to, placing her hand on the handle.

"Please, take me home." She mumbled, thinking of the Mystery Shack and her family. Of breakfast mornings with syrup races and eating 'Stan-cakes'.

Unlike the other doors, the handle under her palm grew hot, and in a moment she had to tear her hand away from it. She covered her hand with a towel from one of the drawers, and opened the door. There was nothing on the other side of it, no light, no sound, only darkness. Until it flashed white and the hallway of the Mystery Shack opened up before her.

Dipper was right there, passing by her with his head down, looking at the floor. Like a snake her hand shot out through the doorway just as she took a step as well. The moment her hand passed through the doorway her ring began to burn, as it glowed a white hot red and left sickening blisters there.

The pain made her snatch her hand back, and the moment she did so the door slammed shut, the sliding click of a deadbolt following right after it. Mabel whipped around, seeing the angry form of Will there. His hand whipped out, aiming for her neck, but hovered over an inch before her skin. The demon growled, before smirking a little. Icy tendrils wrapped around her wrists, putting them behind her back.

"What was your one rule, Star?" He hissed, burning anger still hidden right behind his eyes. Mabel flinched, struggling against the bonds.

"Let go of me." She ordered, the memory of how he listened to her before just barely going through her mind. Will's smirk grew.

"It's not me holding you. Now, answer the question. What was your one rule?" Will's voice takes on a condescending tone, like a parent disciplining their child. A couple more tugs at the bonds that are making her wrist numb, and Mabel realized just how completely at his mercy she is.

"Don't leave." Her voice is a whisper, paralyzed by fear, but she still looked at him, trying to maintain some kind of dignity.

"And what did you try to do?"

Mabel couldn't take the way he was talking to her anymore.

"I'm not your prisoner, I'm your wife! I have a right to see my family! And if you cared about me you'd let me!"

His face contorted to anger for a moment, and he slammed his hands forward, one on each side of her head. The icy tendrils that hold her do not let her go, and Mabel struggled, trying to break away.

"I've treated you very well so far, Shooting Star. I let you have that stupid year you wanted. I won't touch you without your consent. I even let you have your own little wedding ceremony and didn't intervene. Wasn't it just nice and pretty? You have me to thank for that, and yet, you break the one rule I had for you. You try to leave. This is how you repay me? For all that I've done for you?"

He gave a sad, short sigh, as though she had really done the one thing he didn't expect from her. He moved one of his hands from where it rested near her head, moving as though to touch her cheek. Mabel doesn't cringe away from the touch, knowing he could't make contact. She could still feel the chill of his fingers, as though now he's radiating it.

"I've done so much for you, Star. All you had to do was stay here. Yet, you try to leave me. I could kill your entire family! I could destroy your precious pig, slaughter everyone in your town! I could take away everything you ever valued and knew in your pathetic little human life!"

"You want to go see your family so badly?! The only place you'll be seeing them is six feet under! Just know you won't be digging your own grave, but theirs as well! Everyone you ever cared about, everyone you ever wish or hope to see, gone in the blink of an eye! Do I make myself clear?"

Her eyes had squeezed themselves shut as he screamed, turning away from him as well. She could almost feel his frigid breath traveling across her cheeks. She didn't make a sound besides a whimper that escaped her lips on accident. A new frozen coil traveled up, grasping her chin and forcing her to look ahead.

"Don't look away from me, Shooting Star." His voice was as cold as the grip on her, and Mabel recognized an order when she heard one. She peeled her eyes slowly open, until she looked at him with glazed eyes of fear.

"This is your one and only warning. You will regret it if you try something like that again. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?" Will growled the words, and Mabel could not find her voice.

He flicked his wrist, and the tendril moved and slammed her head back into the door with a sickening crack. Mabel lets out a whimper of pain, before it repeated the action, and her head is slammed against the door once more.

"Last chance, Shooting Star. Do I make myself clear?" Her head was spinning and in pain, but she knows there would be more pain if she didn't give him an answer.

"Yes! Yes, I'm sorry. Please, I won't leave again." Her words come out as a choked sob, and Will released her, letting the human girl fall to the ground roughly.

She laid there, tears forming in her eyes as she tried to stop the spinning in her head. Her injured hand was still blistered and throbbing.

"Get up, I want to try something." His voice was softer now, but still cold.

Mabel scrambled to her feet before she lets the pain in her head stop her, and stood on unsteady feet before him. He snapped his fingers and a pair of black leather gloves appeared.

Mabel swayed on her feet, wanting nothing more than to turn around and find the room she woke up in, and wait for Bill to come back. The demon tugged on the gloves, before reaching out one hand. Mabel couldn't breathe as his hand drew closer and closer, until it finally paused right outside of her cheek, yet not stopped by any kind of barrier, but by himself.

"What… What are you doing?" Mabel eventually asked, her voice thick.

He didn't speak as his gloved fingers reached out, brushing over her cheek, the leather cold against her skin. She cringed back, not expecting the contact anymore than he was.

"What an idiot. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner."

He moved away after a second, now grinning brightly as he stared at her. He stood only a foot or two away from her, and observed her almost as a specimen. She wanted nothing more than to disappear.

"Are you going to…" She eventually asked, too scared to finish the questions for all the possibilities that are coming to her mind.

Will had found a loophole though, and she didn't feel safe inside her own skin.

"No. Unfortunately for me, I am still bound by a rule. I have to get your consent." He made a face to the words, like he had just sucked on a lemon.

Mabel hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling as though she was traveling on thin ice. Will was still looking at her curiously, and for a while it was all the two did, was stare at each other. Mabel decided with herself to be brave, because while he may think he had given her so much, he has really taken more than anything. In a moment she has reached out, taking his gloved hand. It's another moment before the fingers and pressed lightly against her cheek, as she brought the hand up to cup her cheek like he was trying to do before. Her hand was shaking as she did it and she pretended it wasn't, as his fingers brushed across her cheek.

"Don't hurt me, please. Just… be kind." She murmured the words, as if afraid he would lash out as he heard them.

For a moment he simply stared, before actually cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone.Then he pulled away, as though her touch caused him pain. He scoffed for a moment, before wiping his gloved hand on his pants.

"This is stupid. Why do let me touch you if you know I can hurt you?" He asked, shocked.

Mabel shrugged, hand going to the back of her head to rub the egg sized lump.

"Grunkle Stan always said that there's risk in the world. You can't go into the water without fear of drowning. Can't do anything without a risk. I thought I would just take a gamble." She murmured the last part.

After a moment the demon scoffed once more, and then wiped his hand to get rid of any essence she might have left on it. Mabel simply watched him, waiting for an opportunity to leave. The blond looked at her hand, flicking his wrist and healing the burns on it. He puffed his chest out, as though remembering he was meant to be mad at her.

"I don't want to have this talk again, Shooting Star. This is your one warning. Understood?" He had a stern tone, but it's laced with confusion. Mabel wondered if Will had ever had anyone be kind to him before, as she nodded her head and thought that she was the one who confused him with kind words.

"Understood." She whispered back.

Will gave her a final nod, before disappearing into oblivion, and Mabel is left alone in her new house once more.


	30. Little Chosen One

It was three days before Bill showed his face again to Mabel. Whether he was simply just avoiding her, Mabel didn't care. As soon as he was in the room she practically tackled him in a hug, so happy to have some interaction with anyone.  
  
"It's only been three days! If this is the reaction every time I leave, I'm gonna leave ya alone more often." He joked, but he was stiff under her touch, as though he had never had a simple hug before. Mabel's grip on him tightens, and she shook her head.  
  
"Next time you leave I'm giving you the silent treatment." She threatened. Bill laughed, because how bad can the silent treatment be from her?  
  
In the three days he's been gone she had found her way out of the house, and into the ghost town. It was strange for her to walk down streets that were bare when they were normally full of people. Everything looked abandoned, as if the town had been deserted in a fleeting moment. Mabel returned to the home Bill had, and didn't leave again.  
  
"Why did you leave?" She asked, pretty sure she knew the answer but she still wanted to hear it. Bill shrugged, escaping out of her hold and stands a few feet away from her.  
  
"Thought you'd might like some time to yourself. What, did ya get lonely without me?" He was meant to be teasing at the end, but Mabel is surprised by how true the words are. She was lonely without him here, in the world without color.  
  
He sighed, moving close and taking her hand. "The next time I leave, I'll tell you. There, does that make it better?" He didn't like the look on her face, the sad one like he just crushed a flower or something.  
  
It didn't reassure Mabel that much, but it offered her a little comfort, and so she nodded. Bill grinned, and grabbed her hand.  
  
"Great. Now that the little emotional issue is solved, let's go do something!" He tugged her to a door, not hesitating for a moment before it opened and showed them the outline of New York City.  
  
The demon brought her through the doorway, and as hesitated just for a moment as they walked through, afraid her ring would burn her. It didn't though, and she stepped into the real world with a noise of delight. Bill dragged her over to a simple restaurant, and got them a table in under five minutes. The only good thing about being on a demon's side, she guessed, was that he could do anything he wanted.  
  
The menu had overpriced items that don't stand out to her. She picked the first thing her eye see when she glanced at the page.  
  
Instead, she looked at the people around them, and listened to the mindless chatter of the people enjoying conversation. She tried to take everything around them, and Mabel wished she could stay there forever in the restaurant.  
  
"What are you getting?" Bill eventually asked, seeming at a loss for how to make small talk. Mabel smiled, glancing at the menu once more  
  
"Penne rustica sounds amazing." She murmured, before closing the menu with finality.  
  
When the waitress came over, and Bill ordered a bottle of red wine and two orders of penne rustica for the both of them. Mabel pretended not to be surprised that he ordered food for himself but she still was. There was so much she didn't know about the demon. He seemed to notice her confusion, smirking a little.  
  
"I want to try your human food." He told her. Mabel tilted her head, a memory floating and brushing just past her thoughts.  
  
"Why do you say it like that? 'Human' things. I thought you said you used to be human?" Mabel asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Bill shrugged, not offering an answer at first.  
  
"I'm not exactly human anymore, am I?"  
  
The rest of the dinner is filled with bad jokes and humor at the expense of one another. Neither really cares, as it was a chance to spend time with another and forget about worries. It was simple but effective, and though the demon didn’t seem to know what to do with the small talk, he replied and seemed more than happy to answer her questions.  
  
The day faded around the pair, and soon enough they were the only pair left in the small restaurant. They talk through the whole time, Bill telling stories about people and things he’d seen, and Mabel telling stories of growing up with Dipper in California. Bill seemed amused with her story even as he told his own stories about watching civilizations collapse and meeting the most famous historical people.  
  
“You would have gotten along with Marie Antoinette. She liked pink and all things sweet.” He gestured to the slice of chocolate cake she had ordered. Mabel blushed a little, not sure how to feel being compared to the once terrible ruler.  
  
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” She asked, taking another bite of the cake. Around them the staff was beginning to clean up, but the couple made no move to rise.  
  
“Good. Means you’re worthy of being a queen.” He told her, and Mabel stared at him in surprise for a moment, trying to keep her cheeks from heating up.  
  
“Of course I am, I’m amazing.” Mabel finally muttered, just as a waitress came up, asking the couple to leave. Mabel bit back her sigh of disappointment, knowing it would mean they would have to go home.  
  
Mabel paused with a forkful of chocolate cake to her mouth. When had she started thinking of that place as her home? Her home was the Mystery Shack with her brother, not his domain. It was a prison, only letting her out when he wished for it to. She put down her fork, stomach turning.  
  
“Are you ready to go home?” Bill broke through her thoughts, and she turned to him. The small smirk on his face letting her know he heard just what she was thinking.  
  
The night had been too nice though, and Mabel didn’t want to ruin that. Instead she rose, brushing off crumbs from her skirt and nodding. “That sounds nice."  
  
Bill paid for the meal and rose, and as they walked through the exit of the restaurant, the color bled from the walls and they walked down the hallway of her new home. As much as it pained her, she forced herself to think of the place of her home, because that’s what it was. It would be her home for the rest of her life, for the rest of her days.  
  
“Can we do this again?” Mabel asked as they paused outside her room. He hadn’t entered since their wedding night, and Mabel hadn’t asked him back.  
  
“What would you give me in return?” He asked with a smirk. Mabel cringed a little, too reminded of the mean demon who takes but didn’t give. She heaved a sigh, opening her bedroom door.  
  
“Good night, Bill.” She murmured, closing the door and clicking the lock into place. It hadn’t been there before, but the home is becoming more and more in tuned with her needs, and it provided them before she even had a chance to think them.  
  
Bill walked away from her bedroom with a sigh, quickly commanding that the next door would open up to his room. This wasn’t what he planned at all! Why was she so sad? She could have anything she wanted in this place, but all she thought about was going back to the stupid Mystery Shack. Didn’t she want to be with him?  
  
‘What, Billy, things not going how you planned?’ Will taunted as he appeared in his own form beside Bill. Bill ignored him, lying face down on the bed.  
  
‘I see the answer is no. You’ll be happy to know that my plans are all going according to plan, then.’ Will teased, lying back on the bed, yet still hovering an inch or two from the sheets. Bill grumbled, but otherwise didn’t reply.  
  
‘Come on, Billy, it’s no fun if you don’t play along!’ Will laughed, his laugh echoing through the room and sounding quite creepy as the only sound. Bill sighed, lifting his head a little, knowing Will wouldn’t leave him alone unless he did as he wanted.  
  
“What plans?” He asked, grumbling a little at how he was forced to goalong with this. Seriously, they had been around for over a millenia, one would think Will would mature.  
  
‘I’m glad you asked! I mean my plans with Mabel. Our wife’s already warming up to me. Almost as much as she was warming up to you in the real world.’  
  
Bill shot Will a hard look, before turning and lying back on the bed and ignoring the other once more. He could almost hear the other huffing at being ignored.  
  
‘Aren’t you going to ask, ‘What plans, Will’ or something like that?’  
  
Bill lifted his head once more, figuring this was almost over with. “What plans, Will?”  
  
Will smirked a little, floating off the bed a bit more. 'Easy, my plans to have her take your place. You always wanted to be free, and soon enough, you can have that.’ Will taunted, floating a bit more away from Bill as he knew the emotional rampage about to happen.  
  
“What? No, you leave her alone-!” Bill almost shouted before forcing himself not to. One never knew when people could be listening. Will laughed as though he had just told the best joke in the world.  
  
‘You want to be free, I want a new host. We both get what we want, what’s the problem?’ Will grinned at Bill’s glare, and Bill had to hold himself back. He knew the other well enough to know he was just looking for a reaction at this point.  
  
“You can’t take her. She’s mine.” Bill growled out, looking at him.  
  
‘No, little chosen one, she’s ours. Soon she’ll be mine, and all out of her own choosing. Not like you’ll ever let her go, will you?’  
  
Will disappeared with a slight pop and a taunting laugh, and Bill growled, standing up and throwing his arms out, setting the room on fire with a simple flick of his wrists. The room smelled of smoke and blue flames covered every inch of the surface.  
  
“Leave her alone!” Bill made the flames finally die, and looked around at his untouched room. He wouldn’t be able to take much more of this.


	31. Happy Birthday

It quickly formed as a routine for them. Bill would go and spend time outside of his realm without color, and then come back and take her someplace new. In the time she had been married, she had seen the sun rise over the top of the pyramids, watched the tourists from the top of Big Ben, and met creatures she was sure only existed in Dipper's journal. Mabel had met mermaids who cooed and chittered over her legs, and sirens who glared at Bill when the demon made faces because not only was he not affected by their singing, but he didn't like it at all.

In the times that he wasn't there, Mabel found ways to pass the time. She quickly found out the entire realm quickly replied to her commands, and before she even knews it, the house was conforming to her needs, making things appear before she even needed it. She expressed her desire for a painting room in her thoughts, still thinking and planning as she went from room to room, and the perfect room appeared before her. Mabel didn't have to worry about cravings anymore, because suddenly the food was there before she could even recognize that she had a craving to begin with.

She was sitting on the couch of a room with large glass windows that showed her the woods outside the Mystery Shack, when there was a noise behind her. Mabel turned, expecting to see Bill and about to tell him she had an idea for something to do, when instead she gets a vision full of white as something was smashed into her face. Mabel jumped, scraping the stuff off her face as she looked down at the ruined cake in confusion.

"I think you're getting crazier by the day." She tells the demon as he howled with laughter. She wiped a bit of frosting off her cheek, tasting the sweet stuff. It was chocolate, her favorite.

"Oh, hush. You know you love me." He teased, taking some of the cake and trying it. "Why you humans like things that are so sweet is beyond me." He ate a bit more.

"Why'd you throw a cake in my face anyways?" She asked, not really caring to wipe away the mess since no one but Bill was around to see her. The demon laughed a bit more at her, so she grabbed some of the ruined cake, shoving it in his face.

"Hey! That's not nice, Star. Here I am bringing you a cake and everything on your birthday!" He lamented as though she committed the worst crime, not even caring that there was now chocolate cake smeared across his brow.

Mabel paused at his words, mind scrambling. Birthday? No, it couldn't be her birthday. She hadn't been there that long, had she? It was so hard to keep track of time though, and when he took her out she could never catch an exact glimpse of the date. Mabel tried to get a clock, but every time she imagined one it was broken, cracked in some way or completely destroyed. When she asked Bill why, the demon didn't answer, in fact he avoided the topic altogether, refusing to state a word on the subject.

If today was her birthday, if she assumed the demon wasn't lying, though she saw no reason why he would, that would mean it was September. Mabel tried to remember the exact date she left, but couldn't, and estimated she had been gone for three months at the least. She wondered how her family was, how her brother's getting along without her.

"It's my birthday?" She asked, wanting to confirm. The demon arched a brow, wiping the frosting off her cheek and eating some.

"It is. Though once you get to be my age years go by without notice. Why keep track?" He seemed aware of her sudden change of mood, and decided to try to distract her. An unhappy Mabel was not a pleasant thing.

"I got you a present." He told her. Mabel looked at him in surprise. She hoped it wasn't more deer teeth. Last time she was finding them for weeks. She was still finding them sometimes.

Bill rolled his eyes. "No, not deer teeth. You made it very clear you didn't like those." Though Bill didn't see why, deer teeth had so many uses! They could be used for food or decoration or a bunch of things. Though the last time he had brought them Mabel yelled at him for a while about finding them everywhere. So he didn't bring her more of those. Even though he wanted to.

Mabel looked at the demon cautiously, and she had every right to. Bill hadn't been the nicest at times. The only real nice thing he did was take her out into the real world. She supposed she should be grateful for that at least, because he could just simply keep her trapped forever, but at least he wa kind enough to let her have some kind of freedom.

Even though it felt like being on a leash with him always there.

"So you want your present or not?" The demon asked, rising from the place he had been sitting in. Mabel shrugged, and quickly imagined herself in clean clothes and a wet rag to clean her face.

"Sure, why not. Won't be any worse than the deer teeth, right?" Bill rolled an eye at the statement, offering her a hand.

"You're hilarious. Now come, your gift is.... Time sensitive." He lead her to a random door, one that's large and ornate in style.

For a moment he paused outside of it, and Mabel can't help but wonder what's on the other side. The door is vaguely familiar though, yet Mabel can't place her finger as to why. She simply shrugged it off as Bill opened the door, revealing the contents.

On the other side of the door, a starry sky stretched out before them. Mabel found herself staring out at the expanse of woods that cover the backyard of the Mystery Shack, with the sounds of nature still there. She immediately stepped towards the door, but Bill held her back.

"It's not actually it. Pine Tree's just dreaming. Thought you'd might like to say hi." Bill explained gently, and still kept Mabel as she tried to pull away to the form of her brother, who seemed to almost be waiting for her as he sat on the edge of the roof.

Mabel can't look away from her brother's back. It's been so long and she doesn't realize just how much she missed him until he's only a couple feet away from her. There's so much she has questions about, and her eyes are already prickling with tears at even the thought of being reunited with her brother.

"Are you listening, Star?" Bill asked with irritation, tugging on her arm to get her attention. Mabel looked over at him, but only for a second before her gaze is on her brother again.

"Sorry. Can I go see him now?" She pleaded, trying to step through the doorway. Bill still held her back.

"Mabel, you need to listen, otherwise I'm not letting you go." His voice is stern, leaving Mabel with no room to disagree. She wanted to see her brother so badly, she would do anything. Regretfully, she turns her attention from Dipper to look at Bill. The demon nods in approval, seeing her attention back on him.

"Don't tell him about this realm. Don't talk him about Will and I. You'll come back when Pine Tree wakes up. Clear?" Bill's stare softens at the end as Mabel nodded, her eyes glanced to the door before she can help it.

"Crystal. Can I go see him now?" Mabel practically hopped from foot to foot, excited. Dipper shifted in his place on the roof, glancing about.

"Just remember that I'm always watching. Break any of my rules and I'll wake Pine Tree up early." He held her hand tightly for a moment before dropping it. "Have fun."

Mabel gave him a bright smile before rushing through the doorway, right at her brother and practically tackling him to the ground. Together they teeter over the edge of the roof, almost but not quite falling as Dipper brought them back to solid ground. Mabel wouldn't have cared if they had fallen, because right now all that mattered to her is hugging her brother tightly and never wanting to leave him again.

"Are you really here?" Dipper eventually asked, pulling away to sit on the chairs that Mabel sat in months ago with Stan. She still has the flower the old man gave her, tucked away as one of her most valuable possessions.

"Yeah, but you're dreaming. I'm really here! I can stay until you wake up." Mabel explained, sitting on the end of the chair so they both share it.

Dipper frowns a little, reaching out and poking her shoulder. "You've lost weight. Is he feeding you? Are you okay? Stan and I will find a way to save you, it's okay. Blink once if you need help." Dipper instructed her, voice serious. Mabel rolled her eyes at him, fighting back a laugh.

"Dipper, I'm fine. I just haven't been hungry lately." Actually, when she thinks about it the only time she is hungry is when she goes out with Bill to the real world. Even then she barely had an appetite.

"How's Stan? How're mom and dad?" She asked eagerly, wanting some kind of update on them.

Dipper made a face at the mention, of her changing the subject. He didn't protest though, letting her ask.

"They're all fine. There's something you should know... Stan's in the hospital. The doctors say his body's just… failing. They say he won't be coming back out. He's got three months, at the most." Dipper reached out, taking her hand gently and sighing as tears appeared in her eyes.

"He can't! It's Stan, he'll be fine." Mabel reassured herself. Her twin reached out, patting her arm with his free hand.

"The stress of you leaving was just too much. You have to come home, he's not going to get better." Dipper's tone was gentle, as though he had practiced telling himself what to say in the mirror. Which Mabel has no doubt that he really has. He always liked to be prepared.

"I can't talk about this. Tell me about something, anything else." She begged him. Dipper gave a small nod.

"Okay, um, Pacifica and I are still going steady?" He poses it like a question, and Mabel doesn't hesitate to jump on that topic.

They talked for hours, catching up on stories as Dipper talks about their parents calling and Soos pretending to be her so they didn't suspect anything. Mabel tells him about traveling across the world when Bill takes her out on dates. The only showing the time has passed is when the stars begin to fade, and with them Dipper's image. He flickered suddenly, and Mabel realized he's about to wake up.

"Talk to him, convince him, you have to visit Stan. Please, Mabel, we need you back." Dipper begged as his form flickered again. Mabel nodded.

"Times up, Shooting Star." Mabel whipped her head just as Bill appeared behind her. Dipper reached out and hugged his sister, as Mabel shook her head.

"You said I had until he woke up, he's still asleep!" Mabel begged, just as Dipper's form flickered in and out of the dream once more.

Bill rolled his eyes, and stalked forward, grabbing Dipper's hair and slamming his head against the chair. Dipper gasped, his form finally flickering out as he woke up. Mabel cried out as her brother was treated so roughly, glaring at Bill the moment her brother was gone.

"Why? I didn't break any of the rules!" At least before when she left her brother she got to say a goodbye, and now she didn't even get that. The dream around them was fading and Bill hoisted her to her feet, leading her to the door.

"He was waking up anyways, I just sped along the process." Mabel ripped her hand away from his, stalking toward the door.

"Grunkle Stan's in the hospital, I need to go see him." She told the demon as they walked back and the door slammed behind them. Mabel gave it a last parting glance before it disappears.

"You don't need to go see him, you want to go see him." Bill corrects in a sing song voice, taunting her a little. Mabel turned from where the door was, glaring at him.

"I don't care if my hand burns off the moment I walk out that door, I'm going to see him." She stands tall even as his face darkened, and a scowl appeared on his face.

"No." Came Bill's short reply. Mabel reels back like he slapped her, she opened her mouth, ready to argue, when he lifted a hand, as though to really strike her.

"This is not up for discussion, Mabel!" His eyes flash with anger, and Mabel flinched away from him. "You're not leaving here, we had a deal."

She stared up at him with fear filled eyes, and Bill blinked, looking at her for a moment then at the hand he's still holding raised. He lowered it, swallowing thickly.

"Go to your room." He tells her, like a parent disciplining their child. Not wanting to argue, or for him to see her tears, Mabel turns on her heel, imagining into existence the door to her room. The room she hasn't shared with her husband since that first night. Mabel can't resist one parting remark though.

"I'm not your prisoner, I'm your wife." She doesn't look at Bill as she says the words, but walks inside her room, collapsing on the bed and bursting out into tears.


	32. Fragile Hearts

The visits to the outside world stop that night. Mabel stops seeing Bill as much, and pretends not to be upset over that fact. She is lonely though, and so she seeked out his company. The time sitting with him in the room is more awkward than being alone, and so her visits to him stop as well.

She doesn't feel like they are husband and wife. She feels more like a trophy, a prize that was won in a deal and not really anything more. Eventually, Mabel stopped getting out of bed, she sees no reason to, since food appeared when she wished it.

Bill stuck to his own room, having a crisis of his own. He checked in on the elder Pines man, sighing as he saw the pale pallor of death upon him. The old man had a few hours at most.

_'You let her go and she won't ever come back.'_ Will threatened. Bill didn't react, having heard the same sentence a million times over the past hour.

"She won't forgive me if I don't let her say goodbye." Bill repeated the same answer he had given a million times as well. "She'll come back." He didn't believe that, but he wanted to reassure himself.

_'You can't let her go! I won't allow this!'_ Fire erupted in the room as Will screamed, and Bill didn't even flinch. He was too used to this by now.

"You have no say. She's right. She's my wife, not a prisoner." Bill rose from his bed, intent on finding her and giving her a last moment with the old man. Will tried to block his path, but Bill didn't even react, just walking through the apparition.

_'Stop! You're going to ruin everything!'_

Bill hesitated a moment as he opened the door, before walking out of it. He hesitated as he imagined her door before him, wondering if he should knock. Yet he had no doubt the girl was doing the same thing she'd been doing for the past couple weeks, just lying there in bed. He didn't like looking at her now with that broken look she had. Ever since he let his anger get in control of him, let Will's whispering in his ear influence him for a second, she looked at him with fear in her eyes. She had never done that before. He didn't like it. The demon wanted it to go away, but he didn't know how.

It surprised him how much he enjoyed her company. It surprised him how much he missed taking her out, and how he only really realized it when they stopped. He wanted her smile back, he wanted her fear gone, and he wanted her to like him again.

Bill knocked once as a warning that he was coming in before he opened the door. He sighed upon seeing her wrapped in blankets and lying still on her bed. Mabel doesn't move until he's hovering over her, and even then she doesn't react until he shook her shoulder.

"Wake up. Get dressed. You're going out." His voice is a bit tougher than he intended it to be, but there's not much he can do about it when the words have already been spoken.

Mabel looked up at him with weary eyes, though they brightened just a tad when she realized what he said.

"Where?" Her voice is full of hope, and made Bill wince. He had hoped he she wouldn't ask.

"The hospital. There's an old man who should see you before he dies."

Mabel barely had a second to register the words before Bill summoned a door to the outside world, and it's the pristine white of a hospital door. He did a mental check in on the old man, making sure he was alone.

Mabel scrambled out of bed, combing her fingers through her hair and imagining herself in new clothes, her classic sweater and skirt pattern. She doesn't take Bill's hand as she goes to the door, hand hesitating only a second before closing on the handle. She glanced back at him.

"Aren't you coming?" She asked, confusion making her brow knit together. Bill shook his head.

"No, I think this is something that you'd rather have a moment alone for." He tried to make his meaning clear, unable to actually get out the words. Mabel gives him a startled look, twisting the ring on her finger.

"... There's no time limit or anything?" Her voice is a bit broken, and Bill felt the smile on his face drop a little.

He sighed heavily, making a motion for the door.

"No, Star, there isn't. Go say goodbye to Stan before he's gone."

Mabel looked at him as though he lost his mind, twisting the ring on her finger. With a simple flick of his wrist the spell on it is broken, and will no longer burn her if she tried to step outside. Mabel hesitated a moment longer, before turning and throwing open the door, stalking outside to see her Great Uncle.

Will appeared beside Bill, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Bill says nothing to the demon half of himself as he plopped down on Mabel's bed, which is still warm from her body heat.

_'You're an idiot. Begging me for centuries to be free and die, to be human, and you just let your ticket out walk out the door.'_ Will growled out. _'She's never going to come back!'_

"I know." Is all Bill said, still staring at the pristine white door. Will turned his glare to the door.

_'Then why did you let her go?'_ Will growled the words, tapping his foot in a sign of impatience.

"If anyone has to be stuck with you, I'd rather it be me over her."

* * *

Mabel Pines was silent as she walked towards the hallowed out figure on the bed. In the time that she'd been gone Stan had lost weight, his cheeks were sunken and his eyes were hollow pits in his skull. He looked like a skeleton, a mere shadow of the man who conned people out of their money and punched a pterodactyl in the face to save her pig.

Dipper or any other family is no where to be seen. Mabel decided that with no time limit, she would be the one to stay with him in his final moments. The old man has done so much for her, it's the least she could do for him.

She took his hand gently, only a little surprised by the feelings of bones and hardly any flesh. At her touch his eyes flutter open, and he looked at her with glazed eyes. The old man doesn't seem to recognize her, and reached over with his free shaking hand, to call for the nurse. She walked in a moment later.

"Yes, Mr. Pines?" Mabel hardly glanced up at her as she addressed the old man.

"Do you see her?" His voice is rough and dry. Mabel cringed a little at his question, wondering if he imagined her here before. By the nurse's expression, he has.

"Yes, I can see her. Do you want her to leave?" Mabel gave the woman a dark look, and looked back at Stan.

The older man shook his head, giving her hand a light squeeze. The nurse left after a moment and Mabel looked at her Great Uncle, the man who has always been like a father to her. More so than he own father.

"Carla?" Stan's voice cracked over the word, still looking at her with glazed eyes. Mabel felt her breath catch in her throat, and she squeezed his hand lightly. He's looking at her, obviously waiting for an answer, but Mabel can't decide what to do. Should she pretend to be Carla? Should she say who she is? Before she can speak, Stan made the decision for her.

"I thought you left, with that hippie guy..." His voice is weak, and death dragged the old man down.

"I came back." Mabel's voice is thick with unshed tears as she looked at Stan, unable and unwilling to correct him. She won't ruin his last minutes of peace.

"I'm back now." She murmured quietly, not wanting her voice to ruin the whole charade. "I'm sorry I left."

Stan cracked a grin, and it looked so small and broke that Mabel cannot help but shed a couple tears. His grin had always been large, wide and threatening to split his face in two. It was never small and heartbreaking.

"It's okay, you're back now." Stan says before his voice is cut off by a harsh rack of coughs. Mabel pat him on the back, until he calmed down. The old man eventually laid back, staring at the ceiling and even paler than before. He blended in with the sheets.

"I'm sorry... I never wanted to push you away." Mabel held his hand gently, and nodded with his words.

"It's okay, just rest." A harsh sob broke out over the last word, and Mabel can't keep in her tears anymore.

"Tell... Tell Stanley I'm sorry... I couldn't protect him. I couldn't protect Mabel." Stanford let out a rattling breath, each one a bit more shallow than the next.

"I love you, promise me you'll tell him."

Mabel hit the call nurse button as the dying man took his last breath. It excited him in a quiet noise Mabel couldn't hear over the sound of her own sobbing. The nurse came rushing in, not going to Stanford but coming to the young girl instead.

"It's okay, he's in a better place." The nurse soothed. Mabel glared at her.

"Help him! Bring him back!" She rushed to his side, having not even realized the nurse had pulled her away. She shook Stanford's shoulder, as though her touch would bring the old man back. "Grunkle Stan, please! You can't leave!"

"I can't help, he left specific instructions not to revive him." The nurse explained gently, and placed her hand on Mabel. Mabel glared, tears still going down her face.

Mabel shook off her hand, unable to think over her own grief. Where was Dipper? Why hadn't he been here when Stan needed him? Were the two still not talking? Mabel didn't know, but her eyes flickered back to the door she came through, that looked in this world like it might lead to a closet of some sort. Mabel watched the nurse pull the blanket over Stanford's head, more tears falling down her face.

"Do you have anyone I can call? It's not good to be alone when a loved one passes." The nurse's voice is calm and soothing, a woman who had done this too many times to count.

Mabel doesn't want to see Dipper. The only thing she can think is;

'Why weren't you here?'

She headed to the door of the closet, where at least on the other side there is Bill who will keep her safe and hopefully comfort her when he sees tears. At the very least, she can curl up in her bed and cry by herself.

Yet when she opened the door of the closet, it is simply that, a closet with extra blankets and some medical supplies. She closed the closet door with a slam, and opened it again. It's still a closet.

Mabel can hear people coming down the hall, the voices of her parents and Dipper as they rushed to hopefully be there for Stan's last moments. They're too late though, and Mabel closed the closet door once more, pressing her forehead against the door. She doesn't want to see them, she wanted nothing more than to be alone and cry.

"Please..." Her voice cracked over the word, and Mabel tried one last time, opening the door just as her family stepped in.

The door opened to her bedroom, with Bill still sitting on her bed. Dipper stared at his twin with wide eyes, and rushed forward with a cry of her name. Mabel felt more tears spring to her eyes along with anger, because he hadn't been there.

She slid into her room, and slammed the door shut just as Dipper reached out for her. She heard the call of her name and the door rattled as he tried to open it, but soon enough it quiets. The young woman turned to Bill, with a tear streaked face as she tried her best to calm down. Bill doesn't say anything, but he gives her a small smile and held his arms out, offering her a hug.

She doesn't hesitate to rush into his arms. The demon radiates warmth and Mabel cried into his chest, staining his bright white shirt as she sobbed over the man who was more of her father than her own. Bill murmured sweet nothings and held her close, until she quiets and laid limp on his chest, completely spent from crying.

"You came back." He sounded a little surprised, and Mabel blinked at him.

"I did." She voiced, her throat dry from her crying. Bill reached up and brushed away the last her tears.

"Why?"

Mabel pondered the question. She really had no reason to return. Yet if she wanted to be anywhere, it was with him.

"Because I love you." Her voice doesn't crack over those words, but it's still heavy and thick with grief.

Bill looked down at the girl with nothing but shock across his features. He doesn't return her words, but that doesn't surprise Mabel. Before she falls into the blissful sleep with dreams where Stan is alive, she wonders if he can even feel such things as love.

Bill watched the girl fall asleep next to him, still trying to absorb the meaning of her words. He can't remember the last time someone said those words to him and actually meant it. Will appeared next to him, looking down at the sleeping girl with as much confusion as Bill felt.

_'She's perfect.'_ Will eventually murmured, hardly glancing at Bill.

For the first time in several millennia, they agree about something.


	33. Who?

Bill is the one who forced Mabel to dress in black, and attend the small funeral they had for Stanford. The same preacher who married them is the one giving the service, and doesn't seem to recognize the couple that stand there as he talked of ashes and dust and returning to the earth.

Once again, Dipper and her family wasn't there for the funeral. It is simply Mabel and Bill as the casket is lowered into the ground, and Mabel is given the honor of throwing the first clump of dirt on top of it. Bill made a white funeral lily appear on the tombstone that only says Stan's name and the dates he lived.

When they go back home Bill forced her to eat something, anything. Mabel barely managed down two bites of a piece of toast before she declared she was full. Her stomach twisted painfully as she moved away from Bill and wandered around the house, and still dressed in her funeral garb. The halls twist and turn to give her solace through walking, never having an end just because she wished it.

Yet a door appeared before her eventually, a simple black one with a gold handle. The house made the door appear again and again as she continued to walk, even as she ignored it. At the very last moment, when she was about to turn the corner she opened the black door instead. Only because when she looked down the hall the door was at the end of it, waiting for her.

The room itself it small. Upon every shelf and surface there is a large coating of dust, which Mabel wiped away with her finger when she gets close. The room felt lived in though, as the bed in the corner has sheets that are crumpled, and the carpet is worn in places. Yet while it feels lived in, the room has a dead quality. As though whoever once lived there is now gone.

"Who're you?" A gruff male voice sounded behind her. Mabel whipped around, curling in on herself a little like a child who was just caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

He's an old man, with white and grey hair forming by his temples. He has a strong jawline and lips pulled into an almost harsh frown as he looked at her with nothing but suspicion in his eyes. Mabel slowly tried to back out of the room, but the door that led her there is gone.

Her mind is frantic as she tried to think of who he could be. Bill has never told her about anyone else living in his realm. Come to think of it, he doesn't seem like he's living, but more of a prisoner. The room suddenly felt too small to Mabel, like a cell.

"Did he send you? What are you doing here? I don't want anything, leave me alone!" The man shouted. Mabel flinched under his harsh tone, trying to make the door appear, but her mind was too frantic to think.

"I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" Mabel seemed to almost fall into herself, and the man paused, looking at the fragile girl.

"Who are you?" He asked. Mabel glanced at him, still trying to think straight to make a door out of there appear. Nothing happened.

"Mabel." She eventually answered, wondering if she should shake his hand. The man didn't offer though so neither did she.

"Stanley." He replied shortly back. "What are you doing here?"

She doesn't know if she means his room or in general. She went with the former though.

"I was upset and got lost. I'm sorry I won't come back." Mabel turned, finally able to get her thoughts in enough order so the door out of the room appeared.

Stanley jumped as she walked towards the door, looking a bit pained. "I didn't mean to get so upset. You must know things aren't always what they seem here." He gestured with a hand as though he expected something to happen. Nothing did though.

Mabel watched him curiously. "I know." It had been so long since she talked to someone that wasn't Bill, she can't help but stop and talk to him.

"Why are you here?" He made a bench appear, sitting down with a quiet noise. Mabel took the chance to observe him. He's small, bones jutting out, and what was obviously supposed to be a strong jaw line now makes him look sickly the way it stuck out. Mabel gently placed herself next to him, and tucked her legs underneath her.

"I made a deal. You?" Though she suspected the answer was the same as hers. Would what was happening to him, happen to her? Would Mabel waste away into nothing, locked away in a room?

"I made a bad deal too." He shifted, pulling his skinny legs up near his chest. He reminded Mabel of a large, overgrown child.

"You're not stuck here, right?" Mabel is jolted out of her thoughts of his appearance, and looked at him as he asked her that.

"Not exactly." She mumbled, twisting the ring on her finger. "I suppose I could leave whenever I wanted now."

He smiled, but his lips were dry and cracked and started to bleed. Stanley didn't notice the blood beginning to drop down his chin.

"That's good... It doesn't do well to be trapped in a place like this." He wiped at his chin as the blood dripped onto his shirt. "Trust me, I know."

"Just recently, I was trapped here." Mabel laughed a little. It was a sad conversation, but it was still nice to talk to someone who wasn't Bill. "Now that I can leave, I don't want to."

Stanley looked at her, surprise and a bit of jealousy crossing his features. "You don't? Why? Don't you have friends, family?"

"My great uncle just died. I was the only one there when he died, and at his funeral." She paused, almost smacking herself on the head. "It sounds so stupid now that I say it aloud. My family probably thinks I'm dead, but here I am, almost pouting." She sighed, looking away from Stanley. "I do miss my brother so much."

Stanley shook his head, not commenting on her new realization. "I'm sorry about your uncle. I have a brother too, I haven't seen him in a long time." He laid his head back against the bench, looking at Mabel for a moment before looking up at the ceiling. "I miss him so much. Some day, I'm going to get out of here and see him.. someday."

"I'm sure you will." Mabel gently reassured him. "Why don't I talk to Bill about it? I'm sure he'll let you go."

Stanley shook his head. "No, no, don't worry about me. It's a bit too late for this old man." He stretched suddenly, tilting his head to the side as though listening. "Mabel, don't listen to the ticks."

"Well, I'm going to talk to him about it." She paused, her determined look fading after a moment. "What are you talking about? It's not too late for you! And what ticking?"

Stanley ignored her for a long second, and then suddenly relaxed. "Enough about me, don't worry. I just meant that I think I've been here too long. Doesn't do you well to stay, it won't do me well to leave." He looked over at her. "Are you okay? Do you need to talk?"

Mabel paused for a long moment, as though realizing the old man wasn't in the right state of mind he should be in. Would this become her? Wasting away to nothing and desperate to see her family again? Mabel shook herself, and tapped her fingers on her knee.

"No, I've spoken enough. Why don't you tell me about your brother? What was he like?" She asked, looking at him eagerly. Any kind of distraction is a welcomed distraction.

"He was a good guy. Liked to box. I wonder what he's up to now." Stanley replied with a sad look in his eye.

Mabel paused, opening her mouth to speak once more when suddenly there's a hand on her shoulder. Mabel jumped about a foot in the air, turning to see Bill standing there, looking at her with concern in his eyes. 

"Who you talking to, Star?" He asked her. Mabel turned, about to point out the man who she was talking to. What was his name again? Mabel couldn't remember anymore. There was no one there, just an empty seat in the place next to her. "No one, I guess." She told Bill after a long moment.

"Well, come on, you humans need food right?" He asked, reaching and taking her hand, pulling her from the bench. Mabel nodded, rising after a moment.

"Hey, Bill?" He made a noise of acknowledgement, but otherwise didn't turn to look at her. "Why're all the clocks broken here?"

Bill's grip on her hand tightened. Mabel didn't take her question back, and it seemed to hang in the air above them. Eventually he lead her to the kitchen, pulling out random items from the fridge.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He placed a carton of eggs in front of her like he expected her to eat them.

Mabel gives him an irritated look, making a bunch of clocks appear. They're all broken at random times, most with cracks and others broken to pieces. "Really? You have no idea what I'm talking about?"

Something's nagging her mind. A reminder. 'Don't trust the ticks.' Where had she heard that before? Mabel can no longer remember. Bill glared at the clocks, kicking some out of the way as he sits across from her.

"Don't worry about it, Shooting Star. Eat your food." Mabel rolled her eyes, but didn't press the subject, beginning to eat something for the first time in a long time.

Yet as she peeled the banana and slowly started to eat, Mabel is sure she can hear something, the ever so faint ticks and tocks of a clock. Maybe one of the ones she summoned isn't broken after all.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tick, tock, tick, tock…_


	34. I Can Make It Stop

Mabel wasn't sure what was going to drive her insane first, the sound of the clock or the fact that no matter how hard she looked, she could not find it. She couldn't follow the sound of the ticks and tocks, for it seemed to sit in the very air around her, hovering and floating with her when she moved.

She gathered every single clock in the place, searching through every one to make sure it was really broken. If it didn't seem like it, she smashed it against the ground in hopes of stopping the noise. No matter how many she smashed, the noise remained. Mabel groaned as she smashed another clock, and still she could hear the noise sounding in the background. She fell to her knees, the broken the pieces of clocks surrounding her.

"Make it stop, make it stop!" She screamed, falling to her knees, and clutching her hair in great, big handfuls. She let out another small cry, whimpering as she hung her head and just wanting it to stop.

From the doorway, Bill was silent, looking over at his wife. He made no move to go and comfort her, or come closer, or even to leave her alone. Bill watched her with a blank expression but a sad look in his eye. With a great sigh Mabel couldn't hear over the sound of her own crying, he turned and left, going to the room he hated most in his realm.

It was a large room, covered from floor to ceiling in mirrors, no inch of wall showing. The flooring was covered with glass, and the ceiling itself was covered in black paint, giving one the impression floating in darkness, of losing one's very self inside the room. Bill wouldn't mind it so much, he would love the room, since it would be a great way to torture someone. Except for one small fact.

It was the room Will claimed as his, the room he stayed in and gave Bill a small amount of peace.

Bill paused outside the door, hesitating for a long moment before going inside. The entire temperature seemed to drop, and if he breathed out, Bill was certain he would have seen his breath. He shut the door behind him, feeling as though he was really floating as he walked towards the middle of the room.

_'My chosen one, how long has it been since you've visited me in my room?'_ Will asked with a grin, no longer in the shape Mabel would recognize.

The shape he's in is the one Bill shudders to remember, the blackened figure with no features. It blended in with the darkness around him, leaving nothing to be picked out.

"Not long enough." Bill replied shortly. "Mabel can hear it, can't she? The clocks." He doesn't expect an actual answer, so when Will laughed, he isn't surprised.

_'Nothing slips past you, does it?'_ Will chuckled a little more, coming near to hover near Bill. He seemed to surround the area, trapping Bill.

"I got you Gideon, why can't you be happy with him? Why do you need her?" Bill asked desperately.

Will chuckled, making the broken and nearly dead body of Gideon appear before them. _'I don't want him, he's broken.'_

"That's what happens when you push people off cliffs and make them stab themselves in the stomach." Bill stated flatly. "I'm telling you right now, it's that body or nothing. Take what you're being offered."

Will paused, and Bill almost wished the shadow had a face so he could look him in the eye. _'No, I want Shooting Star.'_

"You can't have her." Bill told him firmly.

_'What, she's yours? Give me a break, you think you're better than me?. Get over yourself, chosen one, you're just as bad as me! She won't be happy with you, you're a monster just like me.'_

Bill kept his face blank, even as the words tore into him. Will was right, he was just a monster, and monsters didn't deserve love or happiness, or anything as bright or as kind as a shooting star.

"You're right, I'm just as bad. I'm a monster just like you, but at least I don't think I'm a god." Bill told him. "Monsters don't deserve love, so I'm letting her go home."

The words burn on the way out of his mouth. He wanted to snatch them out of the air, and shove them down his throat to pretend they never happened. Yet they were out there, and if Will had a face right now, it would be shocked.

' _You can't be serious. Shooting Star is not leaving!'_ Shock quickly turned to anger with the black shadow, and Bill started toward the door.

"I've held up my end of the bargain. I got you what you've always wanted, a host of your own. Gideon's soul has long departed, you're welcome to the body." He paused, steadying himself. "Mabel gets out of the deal and to be with her family again, and I get to be human. We all get what we want."

The door of the room took him a second to find, before he threw it open. He had a couple minutes to get Mabel free and out of this place before Will realized he was serious, and went on a rampage. He needed to move, get out of the room and away from Will.

_'You won't be happy as a human without her.'_ Will muttered, shrinking away from the light of the doorway.

Bill couldn't think of a reply, and decided to let Will have the last word. He strolled to the room Mabel was in, letting Will think he was bluffing. The girl was still on the floor, begging for the clock to stop as she held her head.

"Star, look at me." He murmured, moving and and sitting in front of her. Mabel's head snapped up at his voice, looking at him desperately.

"Bill, I can't find out where it's coming from." She reached out, taking his hand. "Why do I hear it when none of the clocks work?"

"I know, I know." He moved to stand, taking her with him. "I can make it stop, if you'll let me."

She nodded eagerly, and Bill bit back a sigh. For a moment he wished she had said no, so he wouldn't have to do what he needed to.

"Mabel, a long time ago we made a deal." He moved to stand, still holding her hand and bringing her up with him. "Well, not that long ago, but it feels like it." He chuckled, waving a hand and starting to walk with her to the end of the hall.

"I just wanted to apologize. I should have let you out of the deal when you first got hurt." He touched the faded white lines of her scars. "I was too much of a coward, and selfish. I didn't want to let you go for even a second." A door appeared at the end of the hallway, brightly lit even as the temperature seemed to drop around the couple.

"Bill?" Mabel questioned, seeming to recognize that something was off, that she was missing a piece of the puzzle. Bill walked a bit faster.

"I didn't want to let you go, and I should have. Just know that I love you." He murmured, reaching the door and pushing it open.

On the other side of the door, the Mystery Shack rests, covered in snow for the winter. Bill sighed at the sight of it, while Mabel gasped. He let go of her hand for a moment to pull the ring off her finger. He took her hand again, pressing the ring into her palm and closing her fingers around it.

"I won't ever forget the time I spent with you. Bye, Star."

With the door open and Will screaming through his mind, he pushed her forcefully through the door. It slammed shut behind her, almost catching her foot as she fell into the snow.

Mabel turned on her back, watching the door slowly fade out of existence. She gasped, reaching for it, but her hands pass right through the door as it disappeared into nothing.

"Bill, don't you dare leave me alone here!" She yelled, then waited, and waited, for him to come back.

He never did, and she waited in the snow until her teeth were chattering and her fingers wouldn't bend on their own. The ring still clutched in her palm, Mabel staggered towards the Mystery Shack, unable to feel the bell under her fingers as she rang the doorbell for her brother.

"Coming! Coming! If you're looking Stan, he's passed on, I'm his great nephew." Dipper called through the door before he opened it. Mabel had barely been able to stand on her feet, but now, as she saw her brother, she couldn't keep herself up anymore. She fell heavily against him.

"Mabel?" Dipper cried out, catching her as she collapsed. Mabel couldn't even manage a reply. "Don't fall asleep! I'm calling an ambulance!"

Mabel managed out sounds but no words, looking at her brother with blue lips and red cheeks from the biting cold. The last thing she remembered was staring up at his panicked face before she passed out.

* * *

From the realm without color, Will was screaming, asking Bill what he was thinking, what would happen next. Bill didn't react, looking into the real world and watch his Shooting Star finally go inside the Mystery Shack.

_'You're still bound to me! You think this is all over because you let her go?'_ The shadowy form hissed, coming close to Bill but not touching him.

"I know, I know how to fix this." Bill muttered, before going down the hall, to get a very precious book.


	35. Winters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! It has been one lovely, wild ride with all of you, writing this story. If you like this story, please check out my other Mabill stories, 'Love Bites' and 'All That Glitters Isn't Gold'.

The doctors said it was hypothermia, and frostbite. Those are the reasons they tell her when she says she can't remember why she was sitting out in the cold for so long. Mabel thought they just didn't want to say the word 'trauma' or 'damaged' in front of her. Though she was sure that was what they were thinking.  
  
Frostbite doesn't take any fingers or toes from her though, and for that she is thankful. She isn't thankful for her brother asking what happened, why she's back, and what Bill did to her. Mabel eventually gets fed up, and turned to her brother with a glare.  
  
"I was with a demon for six months, what do you think happened, Dipper?" She spat. Dipper doesn't say anything, so Mabel let his imagination run wild.  
  
Really, she was happy with Bill. She doesn't tell Dipper that, because he would just think she was brainwashed. He probably still thought she was. Mabel wondered if her perception there was altered, because it's nearly March and she doesn't remember time passing by so quickly. She's been gone almost a year, officially eighteen.  
  
The police stop by, and ask questions. Her parents as well. Mabel quickly thanks everything that she is at least eighteen, and her parents can't drag her back away to Piedmont.  
  
"Mabel, sweetheart, you've been gone almost a year, you sure you don't want to come back home?"  
  
"I am home." Mabel replied flatly. Stan either didn't bother to change his will, or hoped she would come back, as his will still has bother her and Dipper as beneficiaries for the Mystery Shack.  
  
"You can't stay at that old Shack, even Dipper's coming back home with us." Her mother tried to reason. Mabel wasn't impressed.  
  
"That's cool. I'm staying though, someone needs to run the Shack." She missed her senior year of high school because of Bill, and she has no desire to return back to the place where people are normal.  
  
"Mabel Alison Pines, we are going back home and you are coming with us. You're not coming back to this god forsaken place." Her mother almost screeched. Mabel glared, crossing her arms.  
  
"No, I am not. I'm eighteen, you can't make me." She said stubbornly. "I have a place to live, and if someone doesn't stay then several people are out of a job. I don't want to go with you."  
  
It was safe to say she was tired of being ignored. Her mother stormed out of the room, and Dipper came back shouting that he wasn't going back either. He claimed it was because he needed to finish school at Gravity Falls, yet Mabel was sure it was because she was back.  
  
Two weeks after coming back, she was out of the hospital. Mabel had more marks on her arm then she cared to admit from all the needles. She had memories of the hospital psychiatrist trying to see if she was unstable, and of telling the doctors to not allow her parents back to visit her, and the nurse telling her that it didn't matter anyways, her parents never came back to visit after that anyways. Yet best of all she has her brother with her, even if he bugs her about her time with Bill, she loves him and appreciates the help.  
  
Dipper still wore the bracelet she made with Bill's obsidian stone. She still has the flower he gave her at the dance party, and the ring she wore on her finger, and she still has the star necklace he gave her on that night.  
  
Soos and Melody got married while she was gone, they both work at the Mystery Shack in their spare time of being newly weds. Mabel told them she went and eloped with a man, and to enjoy their time as newlyweds before the novelty wore off.  
  
“We thought you were like, dead, hambone.” Soos laughed, and Mabel laughed with him.  
  
“Probably should have left a note.” She twisted the ring on her finger, the one Bill gave her. Dipper gave it a nasty look, but didn’t comment.  
  
It took a couple months to get her G.E.D. so she is officially a high school graduate. She’s twenty before she finally took off the star necklace and placed it in the drawer of her nightstand. She’s twenty two before she finally took off the ring on her finger, and placed it in the drawer as well.  
  
Mabel is twenty five when she finally went on another date, this time with a man who takes her roller skating instead of out to eat. Dipper waited up for her and eagerly listened while she talked about how much fun it was. He doesn’t call her again, but Dipper said it was good to get out of the house and actually go on dates.  
  
“Do you miss him?” Dipper asked one night when they stayed up late by the fire and having hot chocolate. Christmas had just passed, and the pair was still getting over the holiday spirit.  
  
“Every day.” Mabel answered instantly. Dipper doesn’t have to say who he’s talking about for Mabel to know.  
  
“You really loved him, didn’t you?” Dipper’s voice was soft, and he reached over to take her hand.  
  
“I really did.” She answered just as softly.  
  
“Maybe… Maybe he knew this was for the best. Remember that phrase about loving something and letting it go? Maybe like that, he just knew it wasn’t good for you to be stuck with him.” Dipper murmured, and Mabel turned her attention back to the fire they had.  
  
“Maybe.” She agreed, and sipped her cocoa. They don’t speak again.

* * *

In the realm without color, Bill Cipher watched the woman he loved go to the hospital, making sure she was safe before he actually picked up the dreaded book. He moved, staring at the book for a long moment, in Will’s room and feeling no heat come from the blue flames before him.  
  
“She’ll be better off anyways, being with Pine Tree and not stuck here.” Bill muttered, flipping through the pages until he found what he wanted.  
  
_‘She would have been better here. Here with me, others are going to touch her, she’ll move on.’ _Will muttered, managing to sound eager and mad at the same time. Eager for what Bill was about to do, but angry over what he had done.__  
  
“That’s good. Hopefully by the time this is all done, she’ll have found someone worthy of her.” Bill stared at the page he turned to, not reading off it yet.  
  
_‘I’m worthy of her. She should be on her knees, grateful that I want her.’ _Will scoffed, moving to the other side of the fire, across from Bill.__  
  
Bill couldn’t help but be reminded of when he first made the deal with Mabel, so long ago. When she was scared of him and gripped the carpet too tightly with her fingers. Back when he just thought a toy was fine, when he didn’t think he could ever fall in love, when he thought no one could love him.  
  
She had though. She loved him. It changed his whole world upside down. He had never thought someone could feel anything but contempt and hatred for him. Mentally, he checked on her again, just to make sure. He wouldn’t be seeing her anymore after this, he would drink up any image he had of her. Even if it was her in a hospital bed recovering from her time with him.  
  
_‘Either read the words or bring her back.’ _Will growled, and Bill nodded, looking at the book.__  
  
“Goodbye, Will. It was a wild ride, to say the least.” Bill chuckled, glancing up.  
  
He would have sworn that if the shadowy figure made of ice could smile, he would have.  
  
Bill slowly read off the page, until finally the book felt like fire should, hot and painful, He read on anyways, the old, ancient latin falling from his lips naturally. It was the language he first learned, the one his mother sang to him and put him down for naps with. He spoke even as his soul felt it was being torn in two. Which he supposed was normal when you were tearing it in half.  
  
With a final spoken word, he threw the blood stained book on the flames, watching the blue flames eat away the pages. He felt as though the fire itself was burning out his own soul, eating away every part of his being.  
  
_‘Goodbye, little chosen one, you were always my favorite host.’ ___  
  
The world went dark.

* * *

  


It started when they were fifteen, when Mabel noticed how different her brother was from their first summer in Gravity Falls.  
  
It finally ended, when Mabel was twenty six, when she was dating a young man and could look back on the memories of what happened without pain. The bell rang at the door of the Mystery Shack, and with her brother still giving tours, Mabel turned with a genuine smile. Scars still decorated her wrists from Will, and she still has all the items Bill gave her. They are wrapped up in their own scrapbook though, no longer shoved in the drawer of her nightstand.  
  
“Hi! Welcome to the Mystery Shack, how can I help you?” 


	36. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 9-13 2-1-3-11  
> 25-15-21 20-8-9-14 25-15-21 10-21-19-20 8-15-23 20-8-9-19 5-14-4'19 
> 
> 1 19-4-17-21-12 3-15-13-5-19 19-15-15-14 5-14-15-21-7-8

When he was little and his parents were still around, he fell out of a tree and broke his arm. The village healer said it was a miracle of God that he didn't die, but his arm would be useless.  
  
He proved them wrong though, and after a couple weeks of limited movements he had the use of his arm back. Though it wasn't nearly as much as before, he was not considered crippled or a burden on the village.  
  
So when he woke in the hospital with his mind as blank as the snow outside, he couldn't tell the doctors his name, only that the pain wasn't so bad. He had faced something worse in life that would give his subconscious perspective, even if his waking mind couldn't remember.  
  
They called him John, because that was what they called lost people. When he told the doctors he had no memories, that his mind was empty, they sighed and kept calling him John, because no one wanted to take the time to think of something better. He wasn't upset by that though. John was a good name, it sounded strong, and strong was what he needed. So he went by John, and when he was discharged from the hospital he was still called John.  
  
He didn’t know where exactly he was. The town he was in didn’t sound familiar, nor did anything he saw. He had scars on his body from things he couldn’t remember, and he discovered he didn’t like darkness. He didn’t like the cold either, but a warm blanket could easily solve that problem.  
  
John found a job in a grocery store, where he learned he could read and write multiple languages. He learned he could remember anything anyone said to him, and that he could always tell when someone was lying. He got an apartment and learned how to pay rent, and still, not one memory came back to him.  
  
It was years before he got fed up with coworkers who kept trying to get him to remember. John decided that if he didn’t remember by now, it wasn’t worth remembering. His meager job at the grocery store didn’t give him a lot of options, but it did allow him to save up enough to move away from the only life he knew.  
  
He wanted to stay in Oregon. That was the only thing he knew was in this state. John went to the library, and pulled a large map of the state down for him to look at. He didn’t know what he was searching for, but he eventually found it, tucked into the state so small he almost didn’t see it.  
  
Gravity Falls.  
  


* * *

It was hard to say goodbye to his coworkers and the crazy neighbor across the hall who liked racoons. John hadn’t thought about it too much when he was packing the few possessions he had collected, but when he was suddenly faced with saying goodbye to everyone, he found himself choking up. These were the only people he knew in life, the ones he could call family.  
  
They all gave heartfelt goodbyes and one of his friends, a girl named Aubrey, gave him a plate of cookies. He had discovered quickly after waking up that he had quite the sweet tooth, and so when she handed him a plate of triple chocolate chip cookies, he nearly died of happiness.  
  
“Thanks, Bree.” He murmured, hugging her tightly.  
  
“No problem, Johnny. Go and be happy.” She hugged back.  
  
John nodded, getting into his car and starting it up. With the boxes of clothes and everything else he had packed into the back of his small car, John waved goodbye to the only friends he had known. The cookies were finished an hour into the drive to the small town, but John didn’t mind. He had hardly finished them when he finally got to the small town, which seemed to just be waking up.  
  
He stopped in town square, getting waves and nods from the people around, all happy to see a new face. John grinned, stretching and grinning up at the state of the town's founder.  
  
“Gravity Falls…” He mused, getting back in the car. “I’m home.”  
  


* * *

Winter was the season he hated the most. For the town that could have scorching hot summers, it could have freezing cold winters as well. John never liked it. The ice and cold, it always made him think of something sinister, something that lurked and waited, but he had no idea what. All he could think about was how he wanted to be warm, how he wished for summer already.  
  
It took him a little while, but eventually he had found a job working for the mayor, an adorably small man who could never decide on what he wanted. John didn’t mind, as his job mainly consisted of sitting at a desk and doing nothing.  
  
It was a cold winter day, and he had just gotten coffee when the Sheriff of the town walked in to see him. It had been a regular routine for him and Blubs to talk while Durland did whatever he did for his morning routine.  
  
“Hey, John. Didja hear? Mystery Shack got a new exhibit!” The Sheriff was starting to get some grey hair around his temples, something he didn’t have when John came down to the small town years ago.  
  
“Did it?” John was never interested in the supposed ‘Mystery Shack’. He was sure it was nothing more than fake things, but the people of the town loved it. John figured it would be entertaining for the masses.  
  
“Yeah! Have you still not been? Everyone knows you can’t say you’re a real Gravity Falls-ian until you go and see it.” Blubs grabbed John's coffee, sipping it despite the blondes protests. Though the Sheriff couldn’t have said anything more to get John to go to the Mystery Shack.  
  
“I’ll go tonight then.”  
  


* * *

He didn’t end up going that night. John ended up completely forgetting about the small Shack until over a year later, when spring was gripping the air, and flowers were shinning. John had been at the diner when Lazy Susan was talking about something new they had, and John realized he had never gone to it.  
  
Reserves gone, he finished his food and went down the dirt road that lead to the Shack. He had lost track of the years it had been since he moved there, but that’s what he liked about the place. Routine, schedule, how everyone took things in stride. John walked and shoved his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, and hummed a light tune.  
  
Ever since he woke up, nothing had been familiar to him. Everything he learned and saw, he was seeing it for the first time. Yet as he walked down the path, the trees felt familiar, as though he had walked that road a thousand times before. Yet he couldn’t remember being here in his entire life.  
  
The Mystery Shack was more worn down than he expected it to be. John looked it over before he walked up the porch steps, vaguely noting how they seemed to have a pet goat. Not the strangest thing he had seen in his time with Gravity Falls.  
  
The bell rang as he walked in. The gift shop was empty besides a woman standing behind the counter with long, curly brown hair. John glanced at her for a moment, about to turn away when he heard her voice.  
  
"Hi! Welcome to the Mystery Shack, how can I help you?"  
  
He was home.


End file.
